Our Animals: Emu

NARRATOR:

Emus are Australia's largest native bird, but these birds can't fly. Their tiny wings are hidden under all those soft, floppy feathers.

Feathers provide a heat shield when it gets very hot. They keep the emu warm when it snows, and they provide a raincoat when it rains.

This emu is preening. It's cleaning and tidying its feathers so they can continue to provide protection.

Emus have very good eyesight and hearing. This lets them see and hear danger from far away. Emus have two sets of eyelids. One is for blinking, the same as us, the other is for protecting their eyes and keeping the dust out.

Their strong legs have three toes with sharp claws on each foot. The claws help them fight if they are ever attacked.

They eat seeds, grasses, leaves, and sometimes insects. If there's lots of food and water around, emus stay in one area. But if there isn't, they'll move on.

Emus can live almost anywhere. They can be found all over Australia, except in Tasmania.

When emus are about two years old, they can breed. Females make special noises to tell the males they're ready to mate. The males fluff out their neck feathers and try to look as big as possible.

The male sits on the eggs the female has laid. For eight weeks, the male keeps the eggs safe and warm. He hardly eats drinks, wees or poos.

Emu chicks are grey with brown or black stripes. The stripes make the chicks hard to see in the grass. This protects them from the other animals that might want to eat them.

The male shows his chicks how to find food, how to run, and he also protects them from eagles, dingoes, and feral cats.

After a year, the chicks have grown almost as big as an adult emu. In another year, they'll start preparing to have chicks of their own.