Emu

Emu facts at a glance

How big is a emu?

An adult emu measures 1.9 m long — about 1.1× the height of an average adult person (1.73 m) — and weighs around 40 kg, about 57% of an average adult’s body weight (70 kg).

What is a group of emus called?

Explore more animal collective nouns and baby animal names .

Size and appearance

The emu is Australia's tallest native bird and the second-largest bird alive, reaching about 1.9 m in height and weighing roughly 40 kg. Its shaggy grey-brown plumage hangs loosely and helps insulate the body against both desert heat and cold nights. The wings are reduced to tiny stubs, useless for flight, but the long, three-toed legs are exceptionally strong. Bare blue skin on the neck becomes more vivid during the breeding season.

Diet and foraging

Emus are omnivores that wander widely in search of food, eating seeds, fruit, flowers, fresh shoots, and a range of insects and other small invertebrates. They follow seasonal rainfall across the continent, timing their movements to reach areas where plants are fruiting and seeding. Like many birds, they swallow small stones that sit in the gizzard and help grind up tough plant matter. An emu can go for long stretches without water but will drink heavily when it finds a source.

Movement and speed

Although it cannot fly, the emu is built for travel across open country and can sprint at up to 50 km/h. Its long stride lets it cover great distances at an economical pace, and populations may move hundreds of kilometres over a year in response to food and rain. The muscular legs also deliver a powerful forward kick, the bird's main defence against predators such as dingoes. Emus are strong swimmers and will cross rivers when needed.

Breeding and the role of the male

Emu breeding reverses the usual roles: the female lays a clutch of large dark-green eggs and then often leaves to mate again, while the male takes over incubation. The sitting male barely eats or drinks for around eight weeks, living off stored body fat until the chicks hatch. He then guards and raises the striped youngsters for up to eighteen months, teaching them where to find food. This intense paternal care is one of the emu's most distinctive traits.

Emus and people

The emu is a national symbol of Australia and appears on the country's coat of arms alongside the kangaroo. Farmed populations are raised for lean meat, oil, and leather, and the bird features prominently in Aboriginal stories and star lore. Wild emus are sometimes seen as pests where they enter farmland, and the famous 1932 "Emu War" saw soldiers struggle to control large flocks. Despite this, the species remains widespread and abundant across most of the mainland.

Conservation status

The emu is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, with a large and stable population across mainland Australia. It adapts well to farmland and disturbed country, which has helped it thrive where more specialised species have declined. Several smaller island subspecies were driven to extinction after European settlement, but the mainland bird is in no danger. Wild emus typically live 10 to 20 years.

Did you know? Emu facts

• Emus are the world's second-tallest birds, reaching 1.9 metres.
• Ostriches are larger and African; emus are smaller with softer feathers.
• Powerful kicks can injure — keep distance during breeding season.
• Conservation: Least Concern.

Diet & feeding

Emu feeds primarily as a plants, seeds, insects.

Adaptations

• Reduced wings stabilise sprints and cool the bird by flapping.
• The 1932 emu cull was a minor pest-control operation, not a real war.

Behaviour & ecology

• Reduced wings stabilise sprints and cool the bird by flapping.
• The 1932 emu cull was a minor pest-control operation, not a real war.

Communication

• Emu uses calls and visual displays to communicate territory, alarm, and breeding status.
• Vocal repertoires vary by species and are often learned or refined during development.

Habitat & range

Australian grasslands and woodland

Ecological role

Emu contributes to seed dispersal, insect control, or nutrient cycling depending on diet and foraging habits.

Conservation status of the Emu

Sources & references

This guide is compiled and reviewed against established zoological and conservation references. Key sources for the Emu:

• IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

  Conservation status (Least Concern) reflects the IUCN Red List category for Dromaius novaehollandiae.

• iNaturalist — observations & photos

  Search citizen-science observations and community IDs for Dromaius novaehollandiae. Useful for range checks and recent sightings — not a substitute for formal Red List status.

• GBIF — occurrence data

  Global Biodiversity Information Facility species search for Dromaius novaehollandiae. Explore published occurrence records used in range research.

• eBird — bird observations

  Cornell Lab eBird target search for Emu. Check recent checklists and seasonal abundance where birders report this species.

• IUCN Red List — Dromaius novaehollandiae.

  Conservation status (Least Concern) and population trends.

• Animal Diversity Web — Dromaius novaehollandiae. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.

  Life history, morphology, and range.

• Global Animal Guide editorial standards

  How we research, source, review, and update every guide for accuracy.