Emu
The Emu is a large flightless bird that is native to Australia. The Scientific name for the Emu is Dromaius novaehollandiae. It is estimated that the numbers of Emus in the wild are as high as 725,000. The Emu is the world's second largest bird, the Ostrich takes the first. Emus are actually Australia's largest native bird. Even though they can't fly they are good swimmers.
Description
This furry creature have recognisable long legs with three toes and grow up to 1.5 to 2 metres tall. Their long legs allows them to run as fast as 30km per hour. The average weight for them is 36 kilograms but an adult emu may grow up to 50 kg. Although sexes are very similar in appearance, females generally have darker necks but both genders have long largely naked bluish-black neck. Juvenile emu birds are dark brown with cream stripes that is escorted with a dark held and neck. The body of an emu consists of shaggy grey-brown soft-feathers, which resemble undeveloped coarse hair. In addition, emus also have wide and soft beaks ideal for grazing
This furry creature have recognisable long legs with three toes and grow up to 1.5 to 2 metres tall. Their long legs allows them to run as fast as 30km per hour. The average weight for them is 36 kilograms but an adult emu may grow up to 50 kg. Although sexes are very similar in appearance, females generally have darker necks but both genders have long largely naked bluish-black neck. Juvenile emu birds are dark brown with cream stripes that is escorted with a dark held and neck. The body of an emu consists of shaggy grey-brown soft-feathers, which resemble undeveloped coarse hair. In addition, emus also have wide and soft beaks ideal for grazing
Diet
An Emu's diet is quite widespread but consists of grass, leaves and small insects and bugs such as caterpillars. Most of their diet is from vegetation such as fruits, shoots, leaves, seeds and native flowers. If there's lots of food and water around they'll stay in one place but if there's not, they'll move on to the next area.
An Emu's diet is quite widespread but consists of grass, leaves and small insects and bugs such as caterpillars. Most of their diet is from vegetation such as fruits, shoots, leaves, seeds and native flowers. If there's lots of food and water around they'll stay in one place but if there's not, they'll move on to the next area.
Habitat
Emus are nomadic type animals and move according to climatic conditions. More specifically, the birds will reside in one area if there is sufficient food and water present. However, when the resources become more variable or sparse, Emus can travel hundreds of kilometres (12 – 25 km per day) in search of sustenance. Similarly, Emus feed on a wide range of plants (native and introduced species) and insects that differ in abundance from time to time and place to place due to seasonal availability. Insects may include grasshoppers and crickets, lady birds, soldier and saltbush caterpillars, bogong and cotton-boll moth larvae and ants. Although Emu’s feed on a great variety of fruits, seeds, growing shoots of plants, flowers, insects, other small animals and green herbage of annual and perennial plants, they exhibit preference when a choice is available. For example, emus feed on seeds from Acacia aneura until it rains; after rainfall they eat fresh grass shoots and caterpillars; and during the winter, they feed on leaves and pods of Cassia; while in spring, emus feed on grasshoppers and fruit of Santalum acuminatum, a sort of quadong. In addition, since emus feed on seeds, they are an important agent for the dispersal of large viable seeds, which contribute to floral diversity.
Emus are nomadic type animals and move according to climatic conditions. More specifically, the birds will reside in one area if there is sufficient food and water present. However, when the resources become more variable or sparse, Emus can travel hundreds of kilometres (12 – 25 km per day) in search of sustenance. Similarly, Emus feed on a wide range of plants (native and introduced species) and insects that differ in abundance from time to time and place to place due to seasonal availability. Insects may include grasshoppers and crickets, lady birds, soldier and saltbush caterpillars, bogong and cotton-boll moth larvae and ants. Although Emu’s feed on a great variety of fruits, seeds, growing shoots of plants, flowers, insects, other small animals and green herbage of annual and perennial plants, they exhibit preference when a choice is available. For example, emus feed on seeds from Acacia aneura until it rains; after rainfall they eat fresh grass shoots and caterpillars; and during the winter, they feed on leaves and pods of Cassia; while in spring, emus feed on grasshoppers and fruit of Santalum acuminatum, a sort of quadong. In addition, since emus feed on seeds, they are an important agent for the dispersal of large viable seeds, which contribute to floral diversity.
Reproduction
When the females create special noises, it signals to the males that they are ready to mate. When males are ready to mate they fluff out their neck feathers and try to look as big as possible. The nest of an Emu can be up to 1.5 metres wide. The female lays up to 20 eggs, which are large and are soft dark green in colour. After hatched, the male incubates the eggs for a period of 7-8 weeks, and will not stray from the nest in this period. When the eggs hatch, the male emu looks after the chicks for another six months. In those six months, he shows and teaches the them to find food, how to run and swim. The stripes on the emu chicks make them hard to see in the grass. He'll also protect them from eagles, dingoes and feral cats. Around two years late they'll be able to have their own families. An Emus’ life expectancy is five to ten years
When the females create special noises, it signals to the males that they are ready to mate. When males are ready to mate they fluff out their neck feathers and try to look as big as possible. The nest of an Emu can be up to 1.5 metres wide. The female lays up to 20 eggs, which are large and are soft dark green in colour. After hatched, the male incubates the eggs for a period of 7-8 weeks, and will not stray from the nest in this period. When the eggs hatch, the male emu looks after the chicks for another six months. In those six months, he shows and teaches the them to find food, how to run and swim. The stripes on the emu chicks make them hard to see in the grass. He'll also protect them from eagles, dingoes and feral cats. Around two years late they'll be able to have their own families. An Emus’ life expectancy is five to ten years
Conservation
The Emu is categorised as 'Least concern' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (on the IUCN ‘red list’). Even though the Emu is not in danger we should still watch and overseer these birds to makes sure that these species will not be endangered or lost. There are few threats to this species, although the eggs and young are at risk from predators such as dingoes, foxes, buzzards and other birds of prey but these are normal like other animal species.
The Emu is categorised as 'Least concern' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (on the IUCN ‘red list’). Even though the Emu is not in danger we should still watch and overseer these birds to makes sure that these species will not be endangered or lost. There are few threats to this species, although the eggs and young are at risk from predators such as dingoes, foxes, buzzards and other birds of prey but these are normal like other animal species.