Emus are the second largest bird in the world, flightless and endemic to Australia. They can grow up to a height of 190cm tall and weigh up to 55k. They are naturally inquisitive and curious.
Even though emus can't fly you may be surprised to know they have small winglets which are about 20cm long. Emus use these winglets as rudders when running and if you look closely at the emus in this video you can seen their winglets hanging down. They can run pretty fast, up to approx 50 kph and each stride can be as long as 3mts.
Emus are found throughout Australia and generally like open plains, they are omnivores eating plants, nuts seeds and small animals and insects.
Breeding takes place with the female laying approx 10 large dark green eggs in a large mound of grass up to 2mts in diameter. Once the female emu lays the eggs, that's it, her job is done and she wanders off, leaving incubation to the male emu which takes approx 55 days. While the male emu is sitting on the nest he doesn’t eat, drink or defecate. He lives of fat stored in the lead up to breeding.
Once the eggs hatch Dad is again responsible for raising the young emu chicks . The emu chicks stay with dad until they are about 18 mths old. He looks after them showing the chicks food and water sources and they travel as a group. When they hatch the chicks are striped and known colloquially as “stripies” until the stripes fade around 6mths of age.
These wild emus filmed on Ex Woolgorong Station which is now a nature reserve. The Wajarri Yamatji people are traditional owners of this area.
The Wajarri Yamatji people call emus "yalibirri". The emu is important to many Aboriginal cultures and there is an Emu constellation in our (Australia's) sky. Look for it the night sky near the Southern Cross.
The Ex Woolgorong Station reserve sits mostly between the Murchison and Greenough rivers, with the Murchison River being the northern river.
It features low wattle woodlands and shrublands, dominated variously by mulga, snakewood, bowgada, jam, limestone wattle, minnieritchie, sandplain wattle and bramble wattle.
Fun Facts:
The Emu is on Australia’s Coat of Arms together with the Kangaroo.
Emus will swallow small stones which help grind the food in their gizzards.
Females are larger than males
The neck of the female turns a darker blue during mating season
They are the only bird to have calf muscles
One emu egg is equal to about 1 dozen chicken eggs
Chapters:
0:10 - Emus drinking
0:35 - Did I hear a cockatoo
0:50 - Finished drinking
1:06 - Popup
1:23 - Another drink
1:59 - Having a scratch
2:23 - A bite to eat
3:08 - Eating again
3:57 - Can you spot the Emu
30 сен 2024
