Emu

For other uses, see Emu (disambiguation).

Emu
Temporal range: Middle Miocene – present Miocene–present[1]
At Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, Australian Capital Territory
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Infraclass: Palaeognathae
Order: Casuariiformes
Family: Casuariidae
Genus: Dromaius
Species:
D. novaehollandiae
Binomial name
Dromaius novaehollandiae
(Latham, 1790)[3]
Subspecies
Distribution in red
Synonyms
List
  • Casuarius novaehollandiae Latham, 1790
  • Dromiceius novaehollandiae (Latham, 1790)
  • Casuarius australis Shaw, 1792
  • Dromaius ater Vieillot, 1817
  • Dromiceius emu Stephens, 1826
  • Casuarius diemenianus Jennings, 1827
  • Dromiceius major Brookes, 1830
  • Dromaeus irroratus Bartlett, 1859
  • Dromaeus ater (Blyth, 1862)
call of a female emu at the ZOOM Erlebniswelt Gelsenkirchen in Germany

The emu (/ˈiːmjuː/; Dromaius novaehollandiae) is a species of flightless bird endemic to Australia, where it is the tallest native bird. It is the only extant member of the genus Dromaius and the third-tallest living bird after its African ratite relatives, the common ostrich and Somali ostrich. The emu's native ranges cover most of the Australian mainland. The Tasmanian, Kangaroo Island and King Island subspecies became extinct after the European settlement of Australia in 1788.

Emus have soft, brown feathers with long necks and legs, and can reach up to 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in) in height. They are robust bipedal runners that can travel great distances, and when necessary can sprint at 48 km/h (30 mph). They are omnivorous and forage on a variety of plants and insects, and can go for weeks without eating. They drink infrequently, but take in copious amounts of fresh water when the opportunity arises.

Breeding takes place in May and June, and fighting among females for a mate is common. Females can mate several times and lay several clutches of eggs in one season. The male does the incubation; during this process he hardly eats or drinks and loses a significant amount of weight. The eggs hatch after around eight weeks, and the young are nurtured by their fathers. They reach full size after around six months, but can remain as a family unit until the next breeding season.

The bird is sufficiently common for it to be rated as a least-concern species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Despite this, some local populations are listed as endangered, with all the insular subspecies going extinct by the 1800s. Threats to their survival include egg predation by other animals (especially invasive species), roadkills and habitat fragmentation.

The emu is an important cultural icon of Australia, appearing on the coat of arms and various coinages. The bird features prominently in Indigenous Australian mythologies.

  1. ^ Patterson, C.; Rich, Patricia Vickers (1987). "The fossil history of the emus, Dromaius (Aves: Dromaiinae)". Records of the South Australian Museum. 21: 85–117.
  2. ^ BirdLife International (2018). "Dromaius novaehollandiae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22678117A131902466. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22678117A131902466.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  3. ^ a b Davies, S.J.J.F. (2003). "Emus". In Hutchins, Michael (ed.). Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Vol. 8 Birds I Tinamous and Ratites to Hoatzins (2nd ed.). Farmington Hills, Michigan: Gale Group. pp. 83–87. ISBN 978-0-7876-5784-0.
  4. ^ a b Brands, Sheila (14 August 2008). "Systema Naturae 2000 / Classification, Dromaius novaehollandiae". Project: The Taxonomicon. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  5. ^ "Dromaius novaehollandiae rothschildi". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Names List for Dromaius novaehollandiae (Latham, 1790)". Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.