Emu Facts, Diet, Habitat, Reproduction, Eggs
The emu, being a flightless bird known as a ratite, lacks an extension to its sternum (breastbone) called a keel on which flight muscles are usually anchored. Interestingly, although it is flightless and lacks a keel, it still has tiny 20cm long vestigial wings. The emu manipulates these tiny wings while running to control its balance and direction. For example, when changing direction rapidly, the emu points one wing up and the other down, almost like a child “playing airplane”. She lays her eggs in the nest the male has built, and then she leaves. While migrating in search of food, large groups of Emus sometimes come together to form massive flocks.
- The most likely entomology for the word “emu” is that it was an Arabic word that early Portuguese explorers adapted as “ema” to describe large birds such as the ostrich.
- Their ability to consume a wide range of food items helps them to survive in different environments and under varying conditions.
- These flocks are not highly structured and tend to be temporary.
- Emus live in most habitats across Australia, although they are most common in areas of sclerophyll forest and savanna woodland, and least common in populated and very arid areas.
- The Kangaroo Island birds have established a breeding population there.
- Each emu foot has three forward-facing toes that allow it to grip the ground, thrusting the bird forward.
The Emu was an important source of meat to the Aborigines in the areas to which it was endemic. Emu fat was used as bush medicine, and was rubbed on the skin. It was mixed with ochre to make the traditional paint for ceremonial body adornment, as well as to oil wooden tools and utensils such as the coolamon (Samemory 2008).
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- As long-legged, flightless birds, you’d expect emus to be fast.
- Both sexes sometimes boom or grunt during threat displays or upon encountering strange objects.
- Emus have soft, long, brown feathers on their plumage which has a shaggy appearance and shorter downy feathers on their heads.
The common emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) is stout-bodied and long-legged, like its relative the cassowary. Emus can dash away at nearly 50 km (30 miles) per hour; if cornered, they kick with their big three-toed feet. Emus mate for life; the male incubates 7 to 10 dark green eggs, 13 cm (5 inches) long, in a ground nest for about 60 days.
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They are highly adaptable and can live in various environments, including forests, savannas, grasslands, and desert areas. Their distribution is widespread, but they tend to avoid densely populated areas, dense forests, and arid deserts. The Emu is the second largest bird in the world, the largest being the similar looking, Ostrich.
While he is incubating, his metabolism rate drops, and he may lose as much as 8 kgs in weight. The emu has two long, thin legs, each ending in three large toes with prominent toenails. The undersides of the toes contain flat pads that enable the birds to grip surfaces firmly while running or jumping. An emu can jump to a height of almost two meters, run up to 50kmh (30mph), and travel long distances at this speed without tiring. As a member of the ratites, they’re part of an ancient lineage that once included elephant birds like the 630kg Vorombe titan. The emu is a large flightless bird species that is native to Australia, and is the only living member left of its genus.
Commercially, emus are farmed for their meat, oil, and leather, and they also provide economic value by eating insects that are agricultural pests. A newly hatched Emu weighs about 500 grams and is small enough to fit in your cupped hand. But emu chicks have an impressive growth rate, increasing their body weight nearly 80 times in the first 18 months of life. An emu chick’s body is covered with downy black and white striped feathers arranged in a squiggly pattern. This colouration helps break up the outline of the chick’s body, camouflaging it from predators.
Emu Running
Emus live throughout Australia in a habitats that include grassy plains, forests, and areas with eucalypt, wattle and banksia plants. Its habitat range extends from the high snow country to the arid interior of the continent. Emus have also adapted to the presence of humans and are often found around man-made watering ponds. Emus are highly nomadic but generally remain in a fixed location if adequate food is available. However, when food is scarce, these flightless birds may migrate hundreds of kilometres in search of water and food at an average speed of 15–25 km per day. Emus live in most habitats across Australia, although they are most common in areas of sclerophyll forest and savanna woodland, and least common in populated and very arid areas.
Species and Subspecies
In Australia, the commercial industry is based on stock bred in captivity and all states except Tasmania have licensing requirements to protect wild emus. Emus breed well in captivity, and are kept in large open pens to avoid leg and digestive problems that arise with inactivity. They are typically fed on grain supplemented by grazing, and are slaughtered at 50–70 weeks of age.
They are opportunistically nomadic and may travel long distances to find food. The natural range of this bird extends across most of Australia. They do not live in some of the central regions because they cannot survive extended periods without water. On the eastern coast of Australia these birds are less common than they once were, but their populations are thriving on some interior regions from which they were once absent. Emus range over large areas, foraging on fruits, seeds, plant shoots, small animals, animal droppings, and insects. They mate and nest over the Australian winter, and it’s not always a loving affair—females have been known to fight viciously over unpaired males.
As long-legged, flightless birds, you’d expect emus to be fast. These are accomplished walkers and runners and cover vast distances bipedally. Emus forage throughout the day, walking long distances to find food. They use their strong legs and sharp claws to dig into the soil for edible roots and to uncover insects. Their ability to consume a wide range of food items helps them to survive in different environments and under varying conditions. Emus are native to Australia and are found in a range of habitats across the mainland, from coastal regions to arid inland areas.
They are human fearless birds and have been known to approach small groups of humans and help themselves to any food on offer. Emus are the only birds with gastrocnemius muscles (the same as human calf muscles) in the back of the lower legs. Emus have soft, slender beaks about 6 cm long, perfectly designed for snatching up insects and tiny seeds. Each emu also sports a distinctive hairstyle, giving it a one-of-a-kind look. While farmers do selectively breed their birds for the best meat production and easy handling, they have not undergone selection for a gamestop bitcoin tax guide long enough period for people to consider them domesticated. They live in loose flocks that move according to rainfall and food availability, covering large distances each year.
Emus weigh between 30 and 60 kilograms (66–132 pounds) (Ivory 1999). For the next 8 weeks after the eggs have been laid, the male will sit on the nest, carefully turning the eggs around 10 times each day. An average egg can measure 5 inches long and 3 inches wide and weigh up to 900 grams. The female emu lays her eggs (on average 11 eggs) which are large, thick-shelled and green in color and then leaves the male emu to do the brooding. The female emu will mate with other males and will produce multiple clutches of eggs. Emus are quite vocal birds and their vocalizations include a loud booming noise which is created by an inflatable neck sac that has a thin wall and is around 12 inches (30 centimetres) long.