Hey! We might look like Ostrich, but we are not. In fact, we are the second largest birds in the world. We are the Emus. There are more interesting things about us, have a look:
- We are very tall measuring 150cm-190cm. And, surprisingly females of our species are larger than the males.
- We are the unofficial national bird of Australia. We are an important cultural icon in Australia, and we can be seen on the coat of arms and various coins in Australia.
- Females in our species are dominant and aggressive. They often fight one another for males to mate with. Males on the other hand do most of the parenting work.
- We were first discovered by Dutch captain Willem de Vlamingh, a European explorer who visited Australia in 1696. We were first described by the English physician and ornithologist John Latham in 1790.
- Our name Emu is thought to be an Arabic word “large bird” that was given to us by Portuguese explorers.
- We are very fast birds. We can run at speeds of about 50 mph.
- When we eat, we also take in small pebbles and rocks along with the food. As we do not have teeth, these pebbles help us grinding the food and aid us with digestion.
- We can survive without water for quite a few days. This adaptation is because of water scarcity towards the inland of Australia.
- We were a food source for native Australians. Nowadays, we are domesticated in farms for our meat, leather. Feathers and oil.
- We have an important place in native Australian mythology (even creation myth of Yuwaalaraay and other groups in New South Wales).
- It is said that the sun was made by throwing an emu’s egg into the sky. One story also states that a small bird threw a boomerang towards a man which cut off his limbs turning him into an Emu.
- In several traditions of Australia, dark dust lanes in Milky way is said to be a giant emu in the sky.
SOME QUICK FACTS ABOUT US:
Our Scientific Name: Dromaius novaehollandiae.
Identification: Tall, brown to black ostrich-like birds with long neck and legs.
Our Habitat: savannah woodland and sclerophyll forests.
Our Range:
Food Habits: Omnivorous; feed on is grass, small shrubs, fruits, insects, lizards, grasshoppers, beetles, etc.
Breeding Period: Between April and November.
Number of eggs laid: 5-55 eggs.
Incubation period: 30-45 days.
Lifespan: 10-20 years in the wild; more than 30 years in captivity.
IUCN red list status: Least Concern.
CITES: Not listed
Indian Wildlife Protection Act: Not listed.
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Casuariiformes
Family: Casuariidae
Genus: Dromaius
Species: D. Novaehollandiae
COMPLETE DETAILS ABOUT US FOR ANIMAL ENTHUSIASTS:
We are the Emus. We are the second-largest living birds in the world after our cousin species Ostriches. We are found only in Australia. Let us tell you about our species.
Emus are scientifically called as Dromaius novaehollandiae.
HOW WE LOOK:
We and Ostriches look similar in appearance. We can have heights of 150 to 190 cm and weigh between 18 and 60 kg, with an average of 31.5 and 37 kg in males and females, respectively. In our species, the females are slightly bigger than males and are also wide across the rump. We have long necks and legs with specialized pelvic limb musculature which help us to run at great speeds. We have bluish skin with facial feathers.
We have soft feathers that are brown in color but can’t help us fly. Our eyes are protected by a membrane which is translucent and moves horizontally. We have a small bill. Our sharp claws on our toes are our primary defensive attributes. Males and females look alike while the young ones look like adults.
WE ARE FOUND IN:
We prefer living in habitats like savannah woodlands and sclerophyll forests.
We live only in Australia in many habitats both inside the continent and also near the coastal region.
WHAT WE EAT:
We are omnivorous but mostly herbivorous. We occasionally eat insects, beetles, lizards, Grasshopper, etc. Our main diet is grass, small shrubs, and fruits.
OUR REPRODUCTION:
We are social birds and live in small flocks. We form breeding pairs during December and January and remain together through the breeding season which is between April and November.
Surprisingly, females fight for males in our species i.e., females display courtship to attract males and are very aggressive towards other females.
In our species, males are the ones who do most of the parenting work. They make the nest which is a hollow in the ground.
While the female lays eggs in them, males incubate the eggs. The incubation period is 30-45 days and the female lays 5-55 eggs at once. Since the female lays eggs in a distance, few eggs are left without incubating.
The chicks hatched stay with their family and become mature at 3 years of age. Our lifespan in captivity is about 30 years and 10-20 years in the wild.
MORE ABOUT US:
We are good swimmers but rarely swim unless we need to cross a river.
We use our sharp claws as weapons and can inflict wounds on our opponent by kicking them.
We are a silent species but our young whistle a lot.
We can travel long distances and also can run at speeds of about 50 kmph.
We are an important cultural icon in Australia, and we can be seen on the coat of arms and various coins in Australia.
OUR CONSERVATION:
We are abundantly seen in where we live and are rated as “least concern” in IUCN red list. We are only less available on the east coast of Australia as the agricultural development and water provision have increased inside the continent making us expand our range.
