Dromaius novaehollandiae

Where They Live:
Emu are native to Australia and are found in a variety of habitats including grassland, wooded savannah, and dry forests.  They can also be found in New Guinea, Indonesia, Solomon Islands, and the Philippines.

What They Eat:
Emus are omnivores – which means they are both meat eaters and plant eaters.  Their diets consist of a wide variety of fruits, seeds, insects and other small animals, small plants, and even droppings of other animals.

Test Your Knowledge! (answers below)

  1. Baby emus are about this tall when they hatch…
    a. 10 inches b. 18 inches    c. 4 inches    d. 1 foot
  2. Emus are related to which other birds?
    a.kiwi     b. ostrich   c. cassowary     d. rhea     e. all of the above

Answer each of the following questions with True or False:

  1. Emus are good swimmers.
  2. Emus are unable to make any sounds.
  3. Emus are the largest birds in the world.

Fun Facts!

An emu’s tail feathers are stiff, so the bird can rattle them to scare off predators.

Male emus are responsible for both incubating (keeping warm and tending until they hatch) the eggs laid by the female and for guarding the chicks from predators for up to seven months after they hatch.

Emus: How Do You Measure Up?
Download this activity sheet to compare your stats to an emu.  [make the second page of this document a pdf and link it to the title “Emus: How Do You Measure Up?”]

Answers