Emu Facts and Information
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Common Name: Emu
Scientific Name: Dromaius novaehollandiae Order: Casuariiformes Family: Casuariidae Type: Flightless Birds, Ratites Diet: Omnivore Collective Name: Mob Average life span: 10 to 30 years (upper end in captivity) Emu height: 5 - 6 feet high Weight: 30 - 60 KG Eggs Laid in a Year: Approx 20 - 40 Running Speed: up to 30mph Running Stride: 9 feet Habitat: Woodlands, scrublands, grasslands and woodland Main predator in the wild: Dingoes Conservation status: Least concern Population (wild): 625,000 to 725,000 |
T-rex on the left and emu on the right, showing the similarity in bone structure.
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This website was involved in the filming of the emu scene, episode 6 of Life On Our Planet,
To watch how emu fit in to our planets history the series it is available to view on Netflix. Life On Our Planet on IMDB |
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The word emu comes from 'ema' which is Portuguese in origin, it means 'large bird' and was penned by Portuguese explorers. The word 'emu' quite possibly derived from Arabic origin and is not thought to be indigenous. The indigenous names from the Sydney area were 'murawung' and 'birabayin'.
The emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the second largest bird in the world and originates from most areas of Australia. It is the only living bird of the Dromaius genus, and is from the ratite family of flightless birds, which also includes the ostrich, cassowary, kiwi, rhea, moa (extinct) and tinamous. Three species of emu once existed, but two of those were hunted to extinction. Emu once roamed wild in Tazmania. Click here for a fascination article... The Forgotten Tasmanian Emus Sub species - Australian Emu - Dromaius novaehollandiae novaehollandiae - Dromaius novaehollandiae woodwardi - Dromaius novaehollandiae rothschildi Tasmanian emu - Dromaius novaehollandiae diemenensis (extinct) Kangaroo Island and King Island dwarf species - Dromaius baudinianus and Dromaius ater (both extinct), Dromaius minor (extinct). Cassowary do not come in the Dromaiidae family they come under Casuariidae family. Although cassowary share the same feather type, where 2 feathers come from one shaft. |
Emu toe / foot in comparison to a human hand
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All Ratites lack the backwards thumb toe, inherent to all other birds species, and their bone structures are very closely related to the raptor family of dinosaurs. The only bird outside of ratites that lacks this backward toe is the bustard. Ratites have a flat sternum that lacks a keel.
Emu have excellent sight and hearing. They also enjoy dipping in water and are good swimmers. The population of emu in Australia is currently stable and they are not endangered, yet declining in New South Wales coastal areas. At various times in history emu have been seen by farmers as pests, most notably during what came to be called The Great Emu Wars, which the emu actually won, just by being emu! Emu are now protected in Australia Under the Environment Protection and Diversity Conservation Act 1999. Emu were once found in Tazmania but are now extinct there. |
Graphic found on Exploding Kittens group on Facebook.
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Emu are now sometimes kept as pets, but they are still farmed around the world, as emu meat is very lean. However, emu farming is less popular now than it used to be, due to the costs of keeping them properly, and the expansive space they require. As a consequence emu farming has dwindled, and a once thriving industry has fallen flat, as other types of livestock can be farmed more cost effectively. The first commercial emu farm opened in Australia in 1970 for harvesting leather, the farm then closed in 1973. In 1976 the Commonwealth government established a farm to promote enterprises for Aboriginal communities in Wiluna.
India once had a huge emu industry, at the time it was seen as a 'get rich quick' scheme, and they would waste nothing of the bird. The skin would be used for leather, their beaks and claws carved into jewellery and their feathers used in crafts. However the industry collapsed around 2013 when the export of emu meat didn't take off and the price of emu meat fell. A lot of the birds were released and it is now thought that thousands of emus are roaming India. Emu are mostly farmed these days for emu oil, as a modern complementary health remedy. There is more in depth reading about emu farming in India within the links at the bottom of the page. If you wanted to find emu meat for sale you may find it easier going straight to a breeder.
Emu are quite hardy animals and extremely agile, a skill which has helped them escape many threats for their survival. Emu will peck at anything, especially if it is shiny, and they will swallow anything!
India once had a huge emu industry, at the time it was seen as a 'get rich quick' scheme, and they would waste nothing of the bird. The skin would be used for leather, their beaks and claws carved into jewellery and their feathers used in crafts. However the industry collapsed around 2013 when the export of emu meat didn't take off and the price of emu meat fell. A lot of the birds were released and it is now thought that thousands of emus are roaming India. Emu are mostly farmed these days for emu oil, as a modern complementary health remedy. There is more in depth reading about emu farming in India within the links at the bottom of the page. If you wanted to find emu meat for sale you may find it easier going straight to a breeder.
Emu are quite hardy animals and extremely agile, a skill which has helped them escape many threats for their survival. Emu will peck at anything, especially if it is shiny, and they will swallow anything!
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Emu have two eyelids, one pair is used for blinking, and the other being nictitating membranes which keep sand and dust out of the eyes. They have double feathers too known as 'Bifurcated', with 2 feathers (rachis) per shaft, emu feathers are not barbed and this is what makes them fluffy. The feathers of an emu function as insulators, blocking the hot sun by day and keeping the emu warm by night and emu feathers are not water proof like other birds may be. Emu will be hardy in all weather extremes. Emu shed feathers in the springtime and grow a lovely thick plumage for the winter months, looking their most handsome in time for breeding season. The feathers of emu act as camouflage too as they blend in to their surroundings very well, even the young stripy chicks can be hard to notice against a natural background. Only emu and Cassowary have these feathers.
Emu are the only birds that have calf muscles. They can jump really high, reaching around 5 - 7 feet vertically. They also have a small claw on the end of their tiny vestigial wing arms. Emu cannot fly, their wings are very small and not really wings at all. These small wings help them turn when they run and help the emu cool down when lifted. There are some interesting articles on the Research papers page about emu wings. Emu can live from 10 to 30 years, the upper end of that in captivity, although in Victoria, Australia there is Pepe, who is coming up to 60 years old! |
Photo showing the nictitating membranes
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Emu eggs are dark green and quite large, weighing anywhere from 400g to 700g. Being made of different coloured layers, it is a popular craft to carve them, revealing the various colours throughout the layers of the shell. An article on how to carve them can be found here: www.instructables.com
Carved emu eggs can also be found on our Emu Art page. On our Emu Art page you will find photographs and a link to Renee Crow, emu egg carving. They can also be eaten and make great omelettes. The egg is very light and fluffy, and rich in flavour. One emu egg provides a meal equivalent to around 12 chicken eggs. |
Blown and carved emu egg. Photo from www.instructables.com
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Myths busted and common questions answered
Are emu dangerous or friendly? Emu are quite placid curious animals generally, you wouldn't want to be kicked by one though, but the chances of them doing that are low, unless of course you have upset one. When emu are lifted, held or carried it should be from behind since they kick forward, this keeps their long claws out of the way. They are not considered dangerous, and in most countries a license to keep them is not required. Emu can make great pets, but need lots of running space, and preparation for fencing, housing and diet will be required. More about this on the Keeping Emu page.
Are emus extinct? They are not, and emu are not currently endangered, they are doing well in Australia. Although the emu that once lived on Tasmania are now extinct. (More info above with links).
Are emu and ostrich related? Emu versus Ostrich - differences: They are both included within the 'ratite' family of birds but of a different genus. Ratites being flightless birds with no backward thumb toe, ostrich have 2 toes and emu have 3. They look quite different, emu are brown, ostrich are black and white and taller than emu. Species of ostrich are found in Africa, emu in Australia. Emu usually mate in pairs or trios, a male ostrich will take on half a dozen females within his territory. Whilst looking after a nest the emu male will sit on the nest, ostrich parents share the load, the male and most dominant female. Ostrich are around 10- 15mph faster than emu.
Are emu dangerous or friendly? Emu are quite placid curious animals generally, you wouldn't want to be kicked by one though, but the chances of them doing that are low, unless of course you have upset one. When emu are lifted, held or carried it should be from behind since they kick forward, this keeps their long claws out of the way. They are not considered dangerous, and in most countries a license to keep them is not required. Emu can make great pets, but need lots of running space, and preparation for fencing, housing and diet will be required. More about this on the Keeping Emu page.
Are emus extinct? They are not, and emu are not currently endangered, they are doing well in Australia. Although the emu that once lived on Tasmania are now extinct. (More info above with links).
Are emu and ostrich related? Emu versus Ostrich - differences: They are both included within the 'ratite' family of birds but of a different genus. Ratites being flightless birds with no backward thumb toe, ostrich have 2 toes and emu have 3. They look quite different, emu are brown, ostrich are black and white and taller than emu. Species of ostrich are found in Africa, emu in Australia. Emu usually mate in pairs or trios, a male ostrich will take on half a dozen females within his territory. Whilst looking after a nest the emu male will sit on the nest, ostrich parents share the load, the male and most dominant female. Ostrich are around 10- 15mph faster than emu.
An ostrich and an emu side by side.
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Ostrich egg on the left, emu egg on the right to show size and colour comparison.
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Thanks to Straussen Farm, Helmsdorf, Germany for the 2 comparison photographs above.
Can emu fly? It is thought that the ratite birds of the southern hemisphere once shared a common ancestor around the cretaceous period and may have once flown, and it's thought that when the dinosaurs died out, around 65 million years ago, the emu no longer needed their wings to escape predators, so over time they gradually lost the ability to fly and learned to run instead. Emu wings are known as vestigial wings.
Can emu walk backwards? Emu and kangaroo are both shown on the Australian coat of arms to signify 'moving forwards'. So the answer is no, they do not walk backwards. Although they can run fast enough to escape any predator that may come their way.
Do emu bury their heads? No! Emu do not bury their heads and neither do ostrich. Ostrich may look like they have their head in the sand when they make holes to lay eggs in.
Can emus be trained? They will learn where their food and water is kept, they may learn to enter a barn at night, with a bit of patience, but you will never be able to command them to sit or play dead, they will not respond to vocal commands, although they may seem to recognise their names over time, and come running to you if you whistle. Occasionally people have tried to train emu to wear a harness, but emu are wild animals, not 'domesticated' pets, trying to get an emu to wear a harness, especially in traffic can be dangerous for the owner, emu and bystanders.
Who had an emu puppet? His name was Rod Hull, he was a British comedian in the 1970s and 80s.
Can emu swim? Emu love water, they love to bathe in it on a hot day and wallow in mud. They are not generally thought of as swimmers, but yes they can swim and they swim well, although they don't tend to cover distance in the water.
The above video shows an emu enjoying a swim.
Video with thanks to Malmesbury Animal Sanctuary.
Video with thanks to Malmesbury Animal Sanctuary.
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Further reading
Article on the fossil history of emu
Solving the case of the disappearing coastal emu.
Past and future potential range changes in one of the last large vertebrates of the Australian continent, the emu Dromaius novaehollandiae
Behaviour of Emu Bird
Wesleyan Osteology Collection
A History of Emu and Ostrich Farming in India
Emu Farming's Struggle for Revival in India
Solving the case of the disappearing coastal emu.
Past and future potential range changes in one of the last large vertebrates of the Australian continent, the emu Dromaius novaehollandiae
Behaviour of Emu Bird
Wesleyan Osteology Collection
A History of Emu and Ostrich Farming in India
Emu Farming's Struggle for Revival in India
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