Emu
Oceania
The emu is a big Australian bird that can't fly. It's the second-largest bird after the ostrich, and it runs very fast on its long legs. Emu dads are famous for sitting on the eggs and caring for the chicks.
Quick facts
- Habitat
- It lives in savannas, deserts, and forests all over Australia.
- Diet
- It eats seeds, fruit, and small insects.
- Size and weight
- Height 1.5–1.9m, weight 30–55kg.
- Lifespan
- 10–20 years
- Conservation status
- Least Concern
- Fun facts
- It can run at 50km/h!
The dad sits on the eggs for two months without eating.
Learn more
A giant track star of the Australian grasslands, sprinting at 50km/h
The amazing secrets of the Emu, descendant of dinosaurs and the second-largest bird after the ostrich
- Habitat — found across various environments throughout the Australian continent, from savanna to forest.
- Size — 1.5–1.9m tall, the second-largest bird in the world.
- Lifespan — averages 10–20 years in the wild.
Powerful legs, evolved in place of wings
The secret to the speed that rules the open Australian plains
- Overwhelming speed — can sprint as fast as a car, up to 50km/h.
- A huge stride — uses its long legs to cover enormous distances in a single bound.
- Three toes — sturdy 3 toes and claws allow it to change direction perfectly.
Magical feathers that beat the scorching sun
A body perfectly adapted to Australia's harsh environment
- A natural sunscreen — its unique double-shafted feather structure protects its skin from harsh sunlight.
- Balance-keeping wings — it can't fly, but it spreads its small wings while running or turning to keep its body balanced.
- A desert survivor — once it finds water, it drinks a large amount at once, letting it travel long distances even in dry desert conditions.
The dumbest bird? A misconception!
A University of Bristol study reveals the emu's surprising intelligence
- Puzzle master — in experiments, it solved food puzzles with a 90% success rate (while ostriches failed).
- A clue to dinosaur intelligence — the cognitive abilities of the emu, an ancient bird lineage, help researchers infer the intelligence of extinct dinosaurs.
- Sharp senses — its very large eyes give it a wide field of view, and its keen hearing lets it detect danger quickly.
Two months of fasting to guard the egg: a 'father's sacrifice'
One of the animal world's most devoted fathers
- A glossy green egg — the female lays a huge, deep green egg about 13cm long and weighing up to 900g.
- Left alone, the father — once the female leaves, the male alone guards the nest until the chicks hatch.
- An 8-week fast — during the two months (8 weeks) of incubation, the male neither eats nor drinks, losing a significant portion of his body weight.
A forest gardener tending Australia's ecosystem
Spreading seeds and communicating with special sounds
- A mobile seed courier — it eats fruit and berries, then travels far and excretes the seeds, playing a key ecological role in plant reproduction.
- A drumming bird — rather than a typical bird call, it makes a deep, booming "boom-boom" drum sound from its throat to communicate (especially breeding females).
- A source of alternative medicine — Australian Aboriginal peoples have long used emu oil as a natural anti-inflammatory and remedy.
How are emus and ostriches different?
A full comparison of two easily-confused flightless giant birds
- Ostrich
- Home — Africa
- Toes — 2
- Top speed — 72km/h
- Egg feature — large, hard, white
- Sociability — lives in large groups
- Emu
- Home — Australia
- Toes — 3
- Top speed — 50km/h
- Egg feature — glossy deep green
- Sociability — mostly solitary or in pairs
Enough with the "dumb" myth! A versatile symbol of Australia
3 amazing traits of the emu we never knew, summarized
- Even flightless, it runs with overwhelming speed at up to 50km/h.
- Its sharp brain solves difficult puzzles with a 90% success rate.
- It's a devoted father who fasts for two months to protect its green egg.