Emu Bird.

The emu(Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. The emu's range covers most of mainland Australia, but the Tasmanian, Kangaroo Island and King Island subspecies became extinct after the European settlement of Australia in 1788.

Emu

Temporal range: Middle Miocene – present 

PreꞒ

Ꞓ

O

S

D

C

P

T

J

K

Pg

N

Miocene–present



Conservation status


Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)

Scientific classificationKingdom:AnimaliaPhylum:ChordataClass:AvesInfraclass:PalaeognathaeOrder:CasuariiformesFamily:CasuariidaeGenus:DromaiusSpecies:

D. novaehollandiae

Binomial nameDromaius novaehollandiae

(Latham, 1790)

Subspecies

D. n. novaehollandiae (Latham, 1790)

D. n. woodwardi (Mathews, 1912) (disputed)

†D. n. baudinianus Parker, S.A., 1984

†D. n. diemenensis Le Souef, 1907

†D. n. minor Spencer, 1906

Distribution in redSynonyms

Casuarius novaehollandiae Latham, 1790

Dromiceius novaehollandiae (Latham, 1790)

Casuarius australis Shaw, 1792

Dromaius ater Vieillot, 1817

Dromiceius emu Stephens, 1826

Casuarius diemenianus Jennings, 1827

Dromiceius major Brookes, 1830

Dromaeus irroratus Bartlett, 1859

Dromaeus ater (Blyth, 1862)

call of a female emu at the ZOOM Erlebniswelt Gelsenkirchen in Germany

Emus are soft-feathered, brown, flightless birds with long necks and legs, and can reach up to 1.9 metres (6.2 ft) in height. Emus can travel great distances, and when necessary can sprint at 48 km/h (30 mph); they forage for a variety of plants and insects, but have been known to go for weeks without eating. They drink infrequently, but take in copious amounts of water when the opportunity arises.

Breeding takes place in May and June, and fighting among females for a mate is common. Females can mate several times and lay several clutches of eggs in one season. The male does the incubation; during this process he hardly eats or drinks and loses a significant amount of weight. The eggs hatch after around eight weeks, and the young are nurtured by their fathers. They reach full size after around six months, but can remain as a family unit until the next breeding season. The emu is an important cultural icon of Australia, appearing on the coat of arms and various coins. The bird features prominently in Indigenous Australian mythology.

The bird is sufficiently common for it to be rated as a least-concern species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Despite this, some local populations are listed as endangered, with subspecies such as the Tasmanian emu going extinct by the 1800s. Threats to their survival include predation of their eggs, roadkills, and fragmentation of their habitats.