Scientific name:
Domaius novaehollandiae

Natural spread:
Australia, Africa

like all run-birds, also the emus are unairworthy. In physique and way of life, they clearly deviate from Nandus and ostriches.

Shape Emus seem penetrated and places under. They reach a total-height of 180 cm near a back-height of approximately 100 cm. The wings are so small, that one can hardly recognize it in the uniform, weak-brown torso-plumage, the tax-feathers are missing completely. The plumage almost covers the whole body and frees only the pale-blue head-sides and the throttle-area. The sexes are not to be distinguished externally. The legs are very powerful, the toes are equipped with strong nails. Emus reach up to 50 km up to 55 kg as fast runners with a total-weight per hour. If the powerful feet are put in to the defense, they can lead to terrible injuries of the opponent.

Reproduction Emus live together in smaller groups. The pair-formation is caused by the female. On this occasion it expresses lutes, that remind of dull drum-sounds, and directs the attention of the male to itself so. If one pair is educated first, the brood and the Aufzucht of the young task of the male are so. Into the nest, grass and herbs, Z, turn as flat hollow. T. also from bark-pieces, aimed (length 120 cm, biggest width 75 cm) oval. Here, 7-8 lie, or if several females, up to 25 eggs, are involved. The cock broods firmly approximately 60 days. In this time, it is very touchy and doesn't tolerate either that the hen takes care of the nest. The slipped boys grow up quickly under the care of the male. they have a gray-white plumage, and over the back disappears two, dark vertical stripes, spreads. After 2-3 years, the squabs are reproductive-capable.

Food Emus live mainly from grass and herbs, but also from grains, fruits and berries. Particularly the young animals consume also masses of caterpillars and locusts beside it and make myself through it useful.

Prosecution In its home, emus are pursued time for a long time because they prepare damage in the agriculture-areas and should impair the cows and sheep-breeding as food-competitors. The black emu (Dromaius minor) became so, that, dark and clearly small, on which kangaroo - and the Kinginsel before Australia lived, already at the beginning of the 19. Century of the settlers wiped out. In the offshore and populous areas of the mainland, also the big emu was destroyed in big-uses, it was even still paid 1964 "head-prizes" in the year. Today, the emus are ousted from the agriculture-areas in the dry-area Westaustraliens. In order to prevent a remigration in drought-times, one over hundred of kilometers erected fences, with what the animal-continuance should be curtailed strongly in dry years.