Common Emu

Emus belong to a family of flightless birds called ratites, which also include ostriches, rheas, cassowaries and kiwis. As the second largest bird in the world after the ostrich, it can run at a speed of up to 50 km/hr.

This is indicated in its genus name ‘Dromaius’, Greek for ‘racer’. As defense, those legs can deliver a powerful kick, while its three sharp claws can inflict deep wounds.

Like cassowaries, emus swallow stones to grind food in their gizzards. Found only in Australia, emus walk up to 25 km a day in search of food. They travel in pairs, but occasionally form flocks of a few hundred birds.

They can go for weeks without eating. They drink infrequently but are able to ingest large amounts of water at one go when available.

Female emus fight amongst themselves to court the males. Their parenting duty ends at joint nest building and egg laying.

After that, the male takes over. During egg incubation, he rarely leaves the nest and barely eats or drinks for up to eight weeks, losing a third of his body weight.

The male singlehandedly raises the chicks and teaches them how to find food. Emu chicks have stripes for camouflage.