Emu

Dromaius novaehollandiae · The emu is a large flightless bird found only in Australia, where it is the tallest native bird.

Also called Common Emu.

Emu
Photo: William Warby, CC BY 2.0
Emu
Photo: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0
Emu
Photo: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassAves
OrderCasuariiformes
FamilyCasuariidae
GenusDromaius
SpeciesDromaius novaehollandiae

Where it lives

Grasslands, scrub and forest across most of mainland Australia.

Fun facts

  • While incubating the eggs for eight weeks, a male emu loses a third of his weight, surviving on stored body fat and any morning dew he can reach from the nest.
  • Emus are unique among birds in having lower-leg gastrocnemius muscles with four bellies instead of the usual three.
  • At full gallop, an emu's stride can be as long as 275 cm (9 ft), compared with about 100 cm (3.3 ft) when it is walking.
  • Captive emus have been known to eat shards of glass, marbles, car keys, jewellery and even nuts and bolts.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).