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Name || Emu |
Scientific Name || Dromaius novaehollandiae
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Conservation Status || Lower risk |
Habitat || Throughout Australia except harsh desert and rainforest |
Unique Features ||
A large, flightless bird, the emu is second in size only to the ostrich. They can be up to 1.9m tall.
Social Behaviour ||
Emus live in small groups, except during the breeding season, when they are more solitary. Groups occasionally join together to form herds of up to a thousand.
Diet ||
Fruit, flowers, seeds, nuts, shoots, insects and small rodents or lizards. They ingest large stones into gizzard to aid grinding process.
Reproduction ||
Female emus will lay up to 15 dark green eggs into a nest built by their mate. The male emu both incubates and rears the chicks, which is unusual for a bird, until the chicks are about seven months old.
Life Cycle ||
Emus live five-10 years in the wild, but can live longer in captivity (35+ years).
Relatives ||
Emus are a member of the ratite family, and as such are related to the other ratites - kiwi, ostrich, rhea and cassowary.
Interesting Facts :
- Emus are nomadic, and can travel up to 500km in less than nine months.
- They are very nosy, and will swallow all kinds of strange things like keys, nails and bottle tops.
- The Emu is a fast runner and can reach speeds of up to 40 mph for short bursts. A running bird can make a stride of nine feet.
- The Emu has been resident in Australia at least 80 million years.
Breeding Programme ||
There is no breeding programme for emus.
Environmental Conditions ||
Emus are seen as a pest in many areas of Australia, as they can do a lot of damage to farms and crops. There have been government campaigns to reduce their numbers. Emus are now farmed for their meat, oil and skins.
At Wellington Zoo ||
Wellington Zoo has three emus.
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:: Emu
:: Brown Kiwi
:: Kea
:: Kereru
:: Kotuku
:: Campbell Island Teal
:: Emu
:: Brolga
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