The emu is one of the few birds that do not have the ability to fly. They live in Australia and avoid meeting people. Emu is a flightless Australian bird weighing up to 55 kg with an average height of 170 cm. This ostrich is a representative of a huge bird species, a giant bird. Their skeleton is underdeveloped, and the plumage does not allow you to fly and make wing movements by wings, because of this the birds are flightless.
What does emu look like? He has some features of the ostrich, such as distinguishable ears and a flattened beak. The feather on the body is rather thick, the feathers are long. The head and neck are also covered with feathers, however, here they are much shorter and have a darker color.
A distinctive feature of the emu breed are powerful lower limbs. Of course, they are slightly inferior to this African ostriches, however, one blow of emu can lead to bone fracture, and for small animals to fracture of all the ribs. Males and females differ little from each other, which presents certain difficulties for farmers in the mating season.
These birds are excellent runners. The speed of their movement can reach 50 or even 60 kilometers per hour due to the imminent danger. And on the run they are able to consider the smallest details of the environment and distinguish objects that are a few hundred meters away. This ability allows ostriches to avoid approaching humans or dangerous animals.
The main residence of emu is Australia. They are found on the island of Tasmania. These birds fill Australia everywhere, except for too dry areas. Ostriches prefer to settle in savannahs, where there are a lot of shrubs and grass. Often, birds visit plantations and farmers’ garden plots, thereby damaging crops.
Sometimes emu gather in groups of 5 individuals, but more often wander alone. Due to the fact that they have few enemies, birds fearlessly move separately from each other. They do not allow the person or other animal to approach him.
In captivity, the emu ostrich can live about 25 years, at will – 15. There are not many enemies, but this does not mean that they are not at all. The ostriches are destroyed by eagles, hawks, foxes, dingoes. Ostrich nests can destroy wild boars, which were once imported to the mainland.
The bird emu is omnivorous, feeds on plants, inflorescences, root crops. He also likes small animals: mice, lizards, frogs, small birds, and swallows them whole. To improve and accelerate the digestion of food, the ostrich uses small stones and sand. The bird prefers to eat forage, and not to tear it from the branches.
The mating period emu falls on the spring. At this time, the male tries to attract as many females as possible and mates with all in turn. At this time it is interesting to observe the marriage games of birds. The male and female stand opposite each other, drop low to the ground and shake their heads. After that, they are sent to the site of the masonry. The task of the male is to prepare a nest for the female. Usually it is a small depression in the ground.
