---
title: "What the sources say about the Emu | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "70 claims from the Emu profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/emu-1.webp"
canonical: "https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/emu/sources/"
---

# What the sources say about the Emu (*Dromaius novaehollandiae*)

> 70 claims from the Emu profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Emu](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/emu/)

## Emu. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/emu

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A flightless bird | the emu belongs to a group of flightless running birds known as ratites (note: tagline) |
| The dad who sits for eight weeks | He stays on the nest for the next eight weeks, getting up only to turn the eggs and tidy the nest. |
| Fathers that sit on the nest for about 8 weeks | He stays on the nest for the next eight weeks, getting up only to turn the eggs and tidy the nest. (note: stats.superpower; 8 weeks is the source's eight weeks (56 days at the Smithsonian)) |
| for about eight weeks | He stays on the nest for the next eight weeks, getting up only to turn the eggs and tidy the nest. |
| across mainland Australia | Emus are common throughout most of mainland Australia (note: stats.habitat) |
| The emu is the second-largest living bird, after the ostrich | The emu is the second-largest living bird in the world (the ostrich is the largest). |
| An adult stands 1.5 to 1.9 m tall | Height: 4.9 to 6.2 feet (1.5 to 1.9 meters) |
| useless for flight | Emus have tiny, useless wings |
| Each foot has three toes and fewer bones and muscles than a flying bird's | Their feet have three toes and fewer bones and muscles than those of flying birds. |
| an emu can sprint at 48 km/h for quite a distance | can sprint at 30 miles (48 kilometers) per hour for quite a distance |
| One stride can be almost 2.7 m long | the emu’s stride can be almost 9 feet (2.7 meters) long |
| An emu can also jump 2.1 m straight up | jump 7 feet (2.1 meters) straight up |
| If it must defend itself, it strikes and rips with heavy feet and nails | If they must defend themselves, emus can strike and rip with their heavy feet and nails. |
| A hiss warns off dingoes | A hiss, described by one of our animal behavior specialists as bloodcurdling, is effective at warning off dingoes. |
| it can rattle its stiff tail feathers to scare predators away | they are stiff, and the bird can rattle them to scare off predators, such as dingoes |
| Most birds grow one feather per follicle | Most birds have one feather per follicle |
| an emu grows a double-shafted feather from each one | the emu grows a double-shafted feather from each follicle |
| Two shafts per follicle | the emu grows a double-shafted feather from each follicle |
| Its barbs sit far apart and lack the usual hooks that attach to the other barbs | an emu feather’s barbs are widely spaced and don't have the usual hooks that attach to the other barbs |
| Each hangs loose and gives the plumage a hairlike look | each barb hangs loosely and gives emu feathers a hairlike appearance |
| The female lays 5 to 15 dark green eggs in a nest of twigs, leaves and grass on the ground | The male builds a rough nest of twigs, leaves, and grass on the ground where the female lays 5 to 15 avocado-green eggs over several days. |
| dark green | The eggs are dark green and shiny |
| One egg equals 10 to 12 chicken eggs in weight and volume | One emu egg has the same weight and volume as 10 to 12 chicken eggs! |
| gets up only to turn the eggs and tidy the nest | getting up only to turn the eggs and tidy the nest |
| he can lose up to one-third of his body weight | The male loses up to one-third of his body weight. |
| they can walk minutes after hatching | They can walk just minutes after hatching |
| Emus live across most of mainland Australia | Emus are common throughout most of mainland Australia |
| Seeds swallowed whole often come out whole | Seeds eaten whole often come out whole; as the emu wanders about, it leaves fertilized seed-carrying deposits behind in its droppings. |
| They talk with a pouch in the throat that is part of the windpipe | The emu has a pouch in its throat that is part of the bird's windpipe and is used for communication. |
| deep booming and drumming sounds that carry up to 2 km | the emu can make deep booming, drumming, and grunting sounds. These calls are usually made during courtship and the breeding season, heard up to 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) away! |
| About 13 cm long and 9 cm wide | Egg size: 5 x 3.5 inches (13 x 9 centimeters) |
| between 450 and 650 g | Egg weight: 1 to 1.4 pounds (450 to 650 grams) |
| The shell is shiny and dark green, with small pits on the surface | The eggs are dark green and shiny, with small pits on the surface. |
| the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance describes the population as currently stable, though drought and wildfires could affect it | While the emu population is currently considered stable, drought and wildfires are potential threats that could impact them. |
| The emu subspecies that lived in Tasmania is gone. It died out around 1865, after Europeans arrived | The emu subspecies that lived in Tasmania became extinct around 1865, following the arrival of Europeans. |
| Females are larger and heavier than males | Adult female emus are larger and heavier than the males. |
| Feathers grow from follicles, just like hairs | Just like hairs, feathers grow from follicles. |
| Flocks often travel long distances for food and water | Flocks often travel long distances for food and water. |
| dangerLevel: Medium | If they must defend themselves, emus can strike and rip with their heavy feet and nails. (note: #998; ADW: kicks "capable of breaking through fences or maiming predators". No source reports a person seriously hurt, so Medium, not High.) |

## Emu. Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/emu

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A flightless bird whose father sits on the eggs for eight weeks without eating or drinking | During incubation, which lasts 56 days, the male doesn't eat, drink or defecate. (note: tagline) |
| Fathers that sit on the nest for about 8 weeks without eating or drinking | During incubation, which lasts 56 days, the male doesn't eat, drink or defecate. (note: stats.superpower) |
| Woodland, heathland, shrubland and sand plains | Emus live in eucalyptus forest, woodland, heath land, desert shrub lands and sand plains. (note: stats.habitat) |
| The wings are tiny, under 20 cm long | their wings are tiny, reduced to less than 8 inches (20 centimeters) |
| During incubation he does not eat, drink or defecate | During incubation, which lasts 56 days, the male doesn't eat, drink or defecate. |
| The chicks hatch striped in black, brown and cream, which helps them blend into long grass | Chicks have longitudinal stripes with black, brown and cream, so they blend easily into long grass and dense shrubbery. |
| The father stays with them for about five to seven months | The male stays with the chicks for about five to seven months. |
| and nowhere else | Emus live only in Australia, where they are widespread. |
| reach deserts only after heavy rain | It is found in desert areas only after heavy rains have caused growth of herbs and grasses and heavy fruiting of shrubs. |
| They also swallow pebbles of up to 45 g, which help grind food | Emus ingest large pebbles up to 1.6 ounces (45 grams) to help their gizzards grind up food. |
| they seem to steer mainly by the sight of rain-bearing clouds | They appear to depend mainly on the sight of rain-bearing clouds |
| In the wild an emu lives five to ten years, and longer in human care | The emu lives five to ten years and longer in human care. |
| the Smithsonian puts males at 50 to 55 kg and females about 5 kg more | Males weigh 110 to 121 pounds (50 to 55 kilograms), and females weigh about 11 pounds (5 kilograms) more than males. (note: sources disagree (SDZ 30-55 kg, ADW 36-40 kg); the page attributes the Smithsonian's sexed figures rather than blending ranges) |
| An emu father sits on the nest for about eight weeks | During incubation, which lasts 56 days, the male doesn't eat, drink or defecate. (note: vibe.reason animal clause, same source as the body claim "A flightless bird whose father sits on the eggs for eight we") |
| does not eat, drink or defecate the whole time | During incubation, which lasts 56 days, the male doesn't eat, drink or defecate. (note: vibe.reason animal clause, same source as the body claim "During incubation he does not eat, drink or defecate") |
| weightKg: 55 | Males weigh 110 to 121 pounds (50 to 55 kilograms), and females weigh about 11 pounds (5 kilograms) more than males. (note: #998; name guess put it Heavy) |

## Boles. Emu. Australian Museum.

https://australian.museum/learn/animals/birds/emu/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Fruit, seeds, young shoots, insects and small animals | Emus eat fruits, seeds, growing shoots of plants, insects, other small animals, and animal droppings. (note: stats.diet) |
| then wanders off | The female wanders away and leaves the male to perform all the incubation. |
| They eat fruit, seeds, young shoots, insects, small animals and even animal droppings | Emus eat fruits, seeds, growing shoots of plants, insects, other small animals, and animal droppings. |
| Emus can move hundreds of kilometres, sometimes 15 to 25 km a day | They are known to move hundreds of kilometres, sometimes at rates of 15 km to 25 km per day. |
| The male does the sitting | The female wanders away and leaves the male to perform all the incubation. |

## Shorter. Dromaius novaehollandiae (emu). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Dromaius_novaehollandiae/

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| He stays alive on stored fat | they are able to survive on stored fat alone |
| Wandering emus spread the seeds of many low-growing plants as they go | Emus disperse seeds of many low growing plants over wide ranges, because of their nomadic migratory patterns. |
| In the wild an emu lives five to ten years | Status: wild
5 to 10 years |
| In the early 1930s a large migration of emus reached an agricultural town and ate or spoiled vast wheat fields | In the early 1930s, a large migration of emus to an agricultural town ended violently. The emus spoiled or consumed vast wheat fields. |
| The military was called in to wipe them out, in what some call the "Emu War" | The military was called in to eradicate the emus in what some call the "Emu War". |
| the operation failed. Natural camouflage and a talent for fleeing let the emus avoid detection | However the operation was unsuccessful. The emus have natural camouflage and ability to flee, which allowed them to avoid detection. |
| Sort of | The military was called in to eradicate the emus in what some call the "Emu War". (note: faq 1 opener: a military operation, called a war by some) |
| tags: grassland | Savannah forest, grassland, and subtropical climates are preferred. (note: #998) |

## Dromaius novaehollandiae. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T22678117A131902466.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2018-2.rlts.t22678117a131902466.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Least Concern | IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). (note: stats.conservationStatus) |
| The IUCN Red List rates the species Least Concern | IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). |