Emu

EMU - Dromaius novaehollandiae
 

The Emu is Australia's tallest native bird, reaching 1.6-1.9m when standing erect. Adult Emus are covered with shaggy grey-brown feathers except for the neck and head, which are largely naked and bluish-black. The wings are greatly reduced, but the legs are long and powerful. Each foot has three forward-facing toes and no hind toe.

The name 'emu' is not an Aboriginal word. It appears to have been derived from an Arabic word for large bird.  The first specimen collected in 1788 by Europeans was from what is now Redfern, an inner suburb of Sydney.

The Emu is found only in Australia. It lives throughout most of the continent, ranging from coastal regions to high in the Snowy Mountains. The main habitats are sclerophyll forest and savannah woodland. These birds are rarely found in rainforest or very arid areas.  Emus eat fruits, seeds, growing shoots of plants, insects, other small animals, and animal droppings. They move within their range according to climatic conditions. If sufficient food and water are present, birds will stay in one area. Emus move as needed to find suitable conditions. They are known to move hundreds of kilometres, sometimes at rates of 15-25km per day. Emus are not really sociable, except for young birds, which stay with their father.   Their call consists of booming, drumming and grunting. Booming is created in an inflatable neck sac, and can be heard up to 2km away.

 
Nesting takes place in winter. The male and female remain together for about five months, which includes courtship, nest building and egg-laying. The nest consists of a platform of grass on the ground, about 10cm thick and 1-2m in diameter. Five to 15 eggs, measuring 130x90mm, are laid at intervals of 2-4 days. These are dark bluish-green when fresh, becoming lighter with exposure to the sun. The shells are thick, with paler green and white layers under the dark outer layer.  The female dominates the male during pair formation but once incubation begins, the male becomes aggressive to other Emus, including his mate. The female wanders away and leaves the male to perform all the incubation. Sometimes she will find another mate and breed again. The male sits on the nest for 55 days without drinking, feeding, defecating or leaving the nest. During this time, eggs often roll out of the nest and are pulled back in by the male.

Newly hatched chicks are cream-coloured with dark brown stripes. They leave the nest at 2-7 days when they are able to feed themselves. Young birds stay close together and remain with the male for four months. They finally leave at about six months. During this period, the stripes fade and the downy plumage is replaced by dull brown feathers. Emus are nearly fully grown at one year, and may breed at 20 months.

Click on the photos for a larger (slower) image.