All About Emus The emu is common in Australia, and it is its largest native bird. Its height is second only to the ostrich in the world. It can be more than six feet high and it can run more than thirty miles per hour for long distances. It has a black beak, long neck and soft brown feathers on its body. Emus belong to a group of birds known as ratites, whic comes from a physical characteristic uncommon in birds. These birds lack a keel, which is an extension of the breastbone to which the muscles of birds' wings are usually attached. Without a keel, ratites completely lack the ability to fly, even if they were to develop the appropriate set of wings. Kiwis, ostriches and emus are all ratites. The eggshells of emus are a favorite of a crafting group who call themselves Eggers. They prefer emu eggs because of their beautiful blue color, which fades to white and the layers are shaved away. Emu Chicks Emu chicks hatch from their blue-green eggs with down that is striped brown and white. Once they begin walking, twenty four hours after hatching, they follow the father around for five months. They gain the plumage and coloring of an adult at around two years of age. Location & Habitat Emus have spread all across the Australian continent, avoiding only those areas in the inland with no water, and the tropical rainforest area where their cousin the cassowary lives. In the wild, they are a nomadic group and primarily they live in the bush, following the rainstorms around. Emus can swim and are sometimes found on the beach. They are not especially social animals with each other but travel in groups anyway. Feeding Emus are omnivores who eat vegetation and bugs. Flowers, insects and grubs, seeds and fruit are all part of their diet. Like all birds, emus have a gizzard to help them digest their food, and the rocks they swallow for their gizzard are quite large. Predators At one time, man was the emu’s biggest predator, but now that few people live in their range, predation is a small concern for them. But if the need arises, their legs are very powerful with formidable nails for disemboweling. Some of the emus' natural predators are lizards (who eat emu eggs), dingoes, eagles, and foxes. They are particularly susceptible when they are young.
Breeding
A female emu can begin breeding as early as eighteen months of age. She can lay up to fifty eggs per year for fifteen years. Once the male builds a nest, the female begins to lay eggs. She lays one egg every four days and the male incubates the eggs once the female has laid nine of them. He will not eat or drink while brooding, and his first meal after the chicks hatch is their broken eggshells. The chicks are born within approximately fifty days. For more information, please follow these links:
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