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Emu

(Dromaius novaehollandiae)

Aboriginal name(s): Race "novaehollandiae": "dhinawan" [gamilaraay]; "noori" [ngemba]; "nguruny"/"ngurihny" [bundjalung]; "yawirr"/"kawirr", "parramal" [yartwatjali, tjapwurrung, djadjawurrung];
Race "rothschildi": "wetj", "wedji", "kulya", "kaya", "yallibiri" Race "diemenensis" (extinct): "gonanner", "ponanner", "tooteyer" (Tasmania)
"atyimba", "boolongena", "kaltee", "miowera", "pinyali", "punnanumta", "wakaje", "warritcha", "beek-beek", "boongil", "boorameel", "burrimul", "cubaree", "goolberri" ("koolbaree"), "kalaya", "kallee", "karawingie", "koolpurrie", "koonappo", "koruni", "langura", "maowera", "marayong", "moorine", "oorooba", "pinyali", "tarrawingie"
Size: 1.5-1.9 m
Weight: 18-55 kg; averages: 31.5 kg (male), 36.9 kg (female)

Description

Classification

Distribution

Sightings

Photos

Breeding

Nest

Eggs

Behaviour

Food

Call/s

Physical description

Click here for physical description of this species Click here for a physical description

Emus are tall, flightless birds with long legs and necks. Their plumage looks stringy and is reminiscent of a coat of dried reeds. They have small, partly bald heads covered with sparse black "hairy" feathers. There are small differences between the two sexes. male Emus are slightly smaller than females and they have more bluish skin on the sides of their neck and on the throat. The males also have a more conspicuous off-white "ruff" around the neck. The irises of both sexes are red, the bills near-black. Juvenile Emus have an almost all-black head (apart from some grey on the ear coverts). Chicks have a bold brown-white striped pattern.

Taxonomy, classification

See Emu at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org .

The global distribution of the Emu is available HERE .

Emus are endemic to Australia. They can be found almost anywhere on the Australian continent, with the exception of the big urban centres, the central part of the NT and a region stretching from about the Pilbara in WA to the Nullarbor. There are no Emus on Tasmania either. Of this total range, nominate race "novaehollandiae" occupies the south-eastern part, i.e. most of SA (except the far northern part), all of VIC and NSW and the southernmost part of QLD (up to about Fraser Island). Farther North, from the north-eastern part of WA via the NT to most of QLD, race "woodwardi" is found. The western 2/3 of WA are the range of race "rothschildi"

Emus have a preference for semi-arid grassland, scrubland and open woodlands, but also arid plains. With chicks they usually stay in denser woodlands until these are strong enough to emerge out into the open.

Where to look? How to find this species?

Emus are vagrant, which makes their movements hard to predict. They are probably easiest to find in paddocks of cattle-farming country on inland plains. Old males with young chicks are more likely found in dense scrub.

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Race "novaehollandiae"

We have encountered Emus, race "novaehollandiae", in various parts of the Australian continent. They are quite common in parts of inland NSW, such as the semi-arid plains, but also more mountainous country.

Interestingly, there are a lot of Emus, race "novaehollandiae", in the valley of the Castlereagh River, West of Coonabarabran, including Warrumbungle NP and also throughout the Pilliga scrub (including 20 km South of Narrabri), but there are hardly any in and around Mt. Kaputar NP, less than 100 km further to the North. In general, Emus are less common around Narrabri than near Coonabarabran, just 100 km further South, possibly due to more intensive agriculture (broadacre farming) in the Narrabri region.

Prior to major flooding in February 2012, also observed regularly by C. Hayne around Moree, NSW. After the flood, they moved westward (hundreds, if not thousands, were found by us in the area between Brewarrina and Bourke, NSW, in September 2012).

Emus, race "novaehollandiae", were seen by us in March 2008 in the (at the time dry) floodplains of the Darling River between Brewarrina and Menindee, NSW, and also further West, towards the Flinders and Gammon Ranges in South Australia. We saw many Emus in the area of Wee Waa, Burren Junction and Walgett, NSW, in June 2012.

Although again in broadacre farmland, we were surprised to see a pair of Emus foraging in the shallow water of Goran Lake, an ephemeral lake about 30 km South of Gunnedah, NSW, in February 2012.

C. Pears reports finding Emus, race "novaehollandiae", in the Flinders Ranges, SA, in August 2016.

C. Pears also spotted Emus, race "novaehollandiae", at Parry Beach, near Denmark, WA, in March 2021.

Click here for sighting information Race "rothschildi"

J. Greaves reports spotting Emus, race "rothschildi", at Manjimup, WA, in March 2015.

Race "woodwardi"

A. Ross-Taylor reports spotting Emus, race "woodwardi", in Darwin, NT, in July 2020.

Photos

Race "novaehollandiae"

ADULT

MALE

The sex of birds labeled as males here was determined not by outward appearance, but by their sightings with offspring.

Close-up lateral portrait of an old male Emu
[Narrabri, NSW, December 2006]

Lateral view of a male Emu - note the large area of bare skin on the neck
[Near Coonamble, NSW, April 2017]

Lateral view of a male Emu, now with its head turned away
[Near Coonamble, NSW, April 2017]

PAIR

"Double-headed Emu" (female in foreground and male behind)
[Goran Lake, NSW, February 2012]

Very distant (>2 km) view of a pair of Emus that was seen by us foraging not only on-shore (as visible here), but also in shallow freshwater
[Goran Lake, NSW, February 2012]

Sex unknown

Close-up frontal portrait of an Emu
[Near Narrabri, NSW, June 2016]

Close-up lateral portrait of an Emu
[Near Narrabri, NSW, June 2016]

Lateral view of an Emu
[Warrumbungle NP, NSW, May 2006]

Lateral view of two Emus; fresh plumage on the right, worn on the left (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Quilpie, QLD, July 2021]

Near-dorsal view of two Emus; fresh plumage on the left, worn on the right (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Quilpie, QLD, July 2021]

"French Can-can a la Emu"
[Warrumbungle NP, NSW, May 2006]

Near-dorsal view of an Emu covered in what looks like burrs (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary, near Cunnamulla, QLD, September 2017]

Dorsal view of an Emu in low shrubland (photo courtesy of C. Pears)
[Near the Flinders Ranges, SA, August 2016]

Full-frontal portrait of an Emu taken in captivity (photo courtesy of M. Windeyer)

Near-frontal portrait of an Emu taken in captivity (photo courtesy of M. Windeyer)

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Frontal view of a juvenile Emu
[Warrumbungle NP, NSW, March 2007]

Frontal view of a juvenile Emu in captivity (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)

Near-lateral portrait of a juvenile Emu
[Warrumbungle NP, NSW, March 2007]

Adult with two juvenile Emus

Emu dad on a road trip with his offspring
[Currawinya NP, QLD, September 2012]

Emu dad crossing a road with his offspring (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Bowra Wildlife Sanctuary, near Cunnamulla, QLD, October 2012]

Here a bunch of Emu youngsters is brought to a dam to have a drink
[Sturt NP, QLD, September 2012]

Distant view of two Emu chicks on a dirt road; at the time they were about 0.5 m tall
[Pilliga scrub, NSW, September 2008]

Adult male Emu hiding a chick in roadside weeds
[Near Bellata, NSW, September 2015]

Emu chick seen from behind, fleeing through tall grass
[Pilliga scrub, NSW, September 2008]

Emu footprint; this bird was running - the spacing between the individual prints was more than 2 m
[20 km South of Narrabri, July 2012]

Race "rothschildi"

ADULT

MALE

Two Emus on dry grassland; the male bird on the left is demonstrating how Emu scats are produced (photo courtesy of J. Greaves)
[Manjimup, WA, March 2015]

Race "woodwardi"

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-lateral view of a juvenile Emu (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Darwin, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a feeding/resting juvenile Emu (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Darwin, NT, July 2020]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Apr - Oct Eggs: 6 - 12 Incubation period: 60 days Fledging age: N/A

In Emu society it is the females who choose their mates. They are not monogamous and mate with several partners, possibly laying several batches of eggs in one season. Emu chicks are precocial, i.e. they leave the nest soon after hatching.

Nest building: Male Incubation: Male Dependent care: Male

The male Emu takes on all breeding duties. It has been observed that an old, well-camouflaged male tends to the nest and incubates the eggs (while the rest of the family clan can be feeding elsewhere). Later the male rears the chicks in dense woodland. They emerge into open grassland again when the chicks, which stay with the male for about 18 months, are relatively safe from predators. The male will later also lead the chicks away from their birth place so as to ensure that they cannot, as adults, mate with close family members.

Nest
"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Scrape Material: Grass and/or leaf lining Height above ground: N/A

Emus use slightly elevated moulds in open grassland that they scrape clean of vegetation before lining them.

Emu nest in grassland; at the time the photo was taken the nest had been abandoned, as can be seen by the fact that the egg shells are partly bleached by the sun (photo courtesy of M. Windeyer)
[Near Gulargambone, NSW, August 2017]

Eggs
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 135 x 90 mm Colour: Dark green Shape: Elliptical

Emu egg; one can clearly see the egg's structured surface; this single egg was found in a fallow field, a day after a new crop had been seeded (when there was no egg to be seen)
[Near Bellata, NSW, May 2015]

Emu egg in an egg cup...

Size comparison between an Emu egg and a chicken egg

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Roaming Mobility: Vagrant; migratory in WA Elementary unit: Solitary/pair/family clan

The "social behaviour" characterisation of "roaming" (above) indicates that family clans of Emus are not territorial, but they are not communal either.

We have observed family groups of up to 10 birds in total, slowly progressing while searching for food, usually seen foraging in open grasslands. When approached by humans they take flight into cover at high speed, except where used to the presence of humans, as e.g. near picnic areas. When fed they can become quite tame.

Approachable Emus at a picnic area

In dry conditions, Emus will congregate in large numbers.

Emus using a farm dam to take a bath
[Near Bourke, NSW, September 2012]

Just in this one paddock more than 50 Emus were counted by us
[Near Bourke, NSW, September 2012]

This Emu was observed by us having a good, long soak
[Toorale NP, near Bourke, NSW, September 2017]

Additional information

There is a separate page describing a male Emu wooing a female.

Food, Diet

Adults: Grass and other plants Dependents: As adults Water intake: Infrequent, copious

Although normally vegetarian, feeding on plants on open grass plains or open woodland, Emus are known to occasionally also take insects. Plant material, such as grass, is hard to digest - Emus use stones as grit to aid digestion.

Emus foraging in grassland
[Near Bingara, NSW, April 2019]

Family of Emus looking for food in semi-arid scrubland (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Near Windorah, QLD, September 2022]

Emus are specialists for finding food in unlikely places - here seen foraging on a cattle "paddock" at a time of extreme drought
[Near Terry Hie Hie, NSW, September 2019]

Emu dad bringing his offspring to the local waterhole for a drink (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Currawinya NP, near Hungerford, QLD, October 2012]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

emu_20140119_2.mp3	novaehollandiae (NW NSW)	Warning call (male with chicks)	© MD
emu_20160623.m4a	novaehollandiae (NW NSW)	Female calling male?	© MD
emu_20160623_4.m4a	novaehollandiae (NW NSW)	Female calling male?	© MD
emu_20160623_5.m4a	novaehollandiae (NW NSW)	Female calling male?	© MD

More Emu sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

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