Australian Emu – Youtube Videos

            From the videos above I have a lot of information about the emu. Australia’s largest native bird is also its most popular. Emu is a bit of a symbol for Australians together with kangaroos it’s on Australian passports and government logos, on wine bottles and beer cans. And it deserves it all, it is one of the most impressive Australian birds, and it is found nowhere else in the world but in Australia.

Emus (pronounced ee-mews) are the second largest member of the ratite group of flightless birds. It is believed that the emu is a survivor of prehistoric times and dates back some 80 million years roaming the outback of Australia. The aborigine tribes relied upon the emu for their existence. The emu provided them with food, clothing, shelter and spiritual sustenance.

The color of the eggs range from a medium green to dark green (almost black) with  some having a very smooth glasslike texture. An average egg weigh between 600-700 grams when laid. The eggs are adible consisting of approximately 10 chicken eggs. The egg is mostly yolk but has a much milder flavor than the poultry. It is excellent when used in cooking. Unfertile eggs are blown for crafters. Engraving is possible as the outer layer of shell is gree, the next layer is a light blue and the inside layer is white. This is demonstrated in this picture:

Emu hatchlings are covered with striped (brown to black) down with spotted heads, they are about 10 inches tall at birth. As 3 month old chicks, they turn nearly solid black, changing into a tan, brown and black mixture as adults, some with a bluish neck. The feathers are downy, with no stiff vein running through the center.

            The mature emu is 5 to 6 feet tall and normally weighs 90 to 120 pounds. They are a strong runners, reaching ground speeds of up to 50 miles per hour in short bursts and covering about nine feet stride.

            Emus are the only bird who have double feathers. The barbs coming out of the shafts are separate, not joined together as they are in the feathers of birds that fly. This means that the birds looks more like it is covered with hair than with feathers. The feathers used in crafts, clothing accents, jewelry and even pillows. Their beaks are wide and soft, for grazing grass and browsing in bushes.

            It is a nomadic bird and follows rains. Nobody really knows how they find the areas where isolated storms have fallen, but it is thought that they can sense thunder or lightening from great distances. They are usually seen walking around in the bush and foraging.  

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP_Ukx2Sp1Y

         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHmKYFb3ngE