Common Name: Emu

Distribution: Found throughout Australia. Locally found in coastal areas, including beaches, from Red Rock to Angourie.

Ecological Notes: It is most common in areas of heaths, savannah woodland, sclerophyll forest and pastoral land and least common in heavily populated districts and those arid areas with annual precipitation of less than 600 millimetres. Emus eat the growing shoots of plants, seeds, fruits, insects, other small animals, and animal droppings. 

Additional Notes: After mating the female lays the clutch of eggs, which are then guarded by the male until hatching. The small brown-and-white striped chicks stay with the father for approximately 4 – 6 months, by which time the stripes have faded to be replaced by dull brown plumage. Emus are full grown at 12 months old.

References: Atlas of Living Australia at Emu Accessed 14 August 2023.

Birds in Backyards at https://www.birdsinbackyards.net/species/Dromaius-novaehollandiae Accessed 24 July 2023