Habits: The emu lives in small groups except during the breeding season. Occasionally several groups join to form a herd of several thousand. The emu stays in one place while the male incubates the eggs. But usually it wanders, traveling long distances in search of food. When food is plentiful, the emu builds up reserves of fat, which it uses when food is scarce. An emu normally weighs about 100 pounds, but it can still function at 45 pounds. 

Emus need large amounts of water. They may drink from watering holes that ranch owners have made for their livestock. The emu’s fondness for seeds causes trouble with farmers, who may shoot birds that feed on their land. The emu is a nervous bird that is constantly on the alert for potential trouble.

Breeding: The emu mates in December and January. The male builds a shallow, bowl shaped nest under a bush or small tree. In April or May the female lays 9 to 11 large, dark green eggs. The male incubates the eggs, while the female leaves and may mate again and lay a second clutch of eggs. During this period the male does not eat or drink but lives off his fat reserves. The chicks hatch after eight weeks and can soon leave the nest. The male is very aggressive, driving away the female or humans who come too close. He guards the chicks for five to seven months.

Emu and Man: Until the late eighteenth century several kinds of emu lived in Australia, each on a separate island. Many were killed by early settlers for meat and for oil that could be extracted from the carcasses and used as medicine and in lamps. The emu population on the Australian mainland survived in spite of several government campaigns to reduce their numbers because of the damage they do to cereal crops. Now, man made watering holes for cattle and sheep provide the emu with a permanent supply of fresh water in places where there was no fresh water before.

Food and Feeding: The emu only eats foods that are rich in nutrients, such as seeds, fruit, and young shoots, as well as insects, lizards, and small rodents. It avoids grass and leaves even if they are all that is available. To help its stomach grind the food; the emu takes in pebbles with its food. These pebbles can weigh as much as two ounces each. The emu must also have access to fresh water. Because its diet is so nutritious, the emu grows quickly and reproduces in large numbers. It covers hundreds of miles searching for food after the supplies in one area have been exhausted.

Key Facts:
Sizes:
Height: Up to 6 ft.
Weight: 65-100 lb. Female heavier than male

Breeding:
Sexual maturity: 2 years
Breeding season: April to July
No. of Broods: 1 or 2
Eggs: 9-11, large, olive green
Incubation period: 8 weeks

Lifestyle:
Habit: Sociable outside the breeding season. Nomadic for much of the year
Call: Male hisses and grunts. Female makes loud and resonant booming noises
Diet: Seeds, fruit, insects, small rodents, and lizards
Lifespan: 5-10 years in the wild. Longer in captivity

Related Species: Related to other flightless birds, including the ostrich and the kiwi.
Distribution: Found throughout Australia, except in rainforests and on cleared land. It is rare in northern areas and deserts.
Conservation: The emu is widespread throughout its range. It appears to be in no danger of extinction, although its habitat is shrinking as land is cleared for farming. The emu’s population is controlled by the government.

Features of the Emu: 
Chicks: Top of the head is spotted. Body is downy with dark stripes along the back and flanks.
Male: Long, drooping feathers. General coloring is dark brown to gray brown.
Wings: Hidden under feathers. No longer used for flight. They can be held away from the body to keep the emu cool in hot weather.
Nest and Eggs: Shallow nest about 3 feet across is built by the male. The female lays 9-11 large olive green eggs.
Legs: Long and strong so the emu can walk quickly for long distances. Feet have three large toes.

Did You Know: There is an old saying in Australia that someone is “as stupid as an emu.”
Early settlers made omelets from emu eggs. One egg fed several people. It was first broken into a basin and left overnight so all the oil could be skimmed off before it was cooked.
The stomach of one emu was found to contain nearly 3,000 caterpillars.
Emus investigate any object they come across. One emu reportedly drank the contents of a can of paint and then swallowed the tin.

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