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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing emus. Emus are flightless birds endemic to Australia, meaning they aren’t natively found anywhere else in the world. They are one of the two animals featured on the Australian coat of arms the other being the red kangaroo. They are the second tallest living birds and can reach up to six feet (1.8m) in height; only the ostrich stands taller. Emus live in almost anywhere as long as they have access to water, though they don’t live in dense forests or deserts. Land cultivation practices give emus access to water in places where they naturally wouldn’t have it. This has led to some fights between farmers and emus who take advantage of the farmer's crops. In the 1930s a war was waged on emus during a time now called the “Great Emu War''. The result was humiliation for the people. The birds won as they maintained their populations which the humans were unsuccessful in reducing. Nowadays, emus are protected, and humans have developed better tactics for keeping pesky emus out of their crops, which means the birds have to rely on their typical fare.

Among other items, emus eat ants, caterpillars, moths, grasshoppers, lizards, grass shoots, and fruit. Emus are an important part of the ecosystem because they are excellent seed dispersers. If the need arises, emus will travel to new locations to seek out water and food. They’ll often travel together in large flocks during this time, though, once they’ve found a good spot, they’ll disperse from each other. Emus are content to live on their own, but they can also live in small, loose groups. The males typically build the nests as they are the ones who raise the kids. It takes about 50 days after mating for a female emu to begin laying eggs, and she’ll fill a nest with approximately 10 eggs which the male incubates. The female will take off after that, because the male is a moody dad. She may lay more clutches for other males to incubate, while the males spend the next eight weeks tending to the eggs. Emu dads won’t eat during this time and may lose up to ⅓ of their body weight. Considering a healthy emu can weigh up to 80 pounds (37kg), they may lose up to 26 pounds (12kg)! The baby emus are striped to help them blend in with their surroundings. Emus in general have to watch out for dingoes, foxes, and birds of prey as potential predators. Thankfully, the chicks have Dad to protect them. They’ll stay with him for up to two years before they’re ready to have chicks of their own. In the wild, emus may live to be ten years old, but in captivity they can be twice that age!

Emus have large, dinosaur feet with three forward facing toes which they’ll use to kick an opponent if needed. This is not unlike the cassowary we’ve discussed previously. Emus can also run about 30 miles per hour (48kph) if they need to get away, and they’ve even been seen using their tiny wings to make tight turns while avoiding predators. Of course, these wings are useless for flight. Emus feathers are special. Two hair-like plumes protrude from a single quill making them much more flexible than the feathers of other birds. Emus tend to be rather quiet, but when they do call they make a deep sound that can be heard as far as a mile (1.6km) away.

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