Emu

Found on the grassy plains of Australia, this is the second largest living bird. They have brown feathers with a white base, and each feather has a secondary feather that gives the bird a shaggy or furry look. The Emu is primarily a herbivore (plant eater). They eat seeds, grass, flowers, young plants and fruit. They do also eat some insects, particularly caterpillars.

The Emu is a prehistoric bird that originated about 80 million years ago in Australia. They are closely related to ostrich, rhea, cassowary and kiwi. These are flightless birds (they have very short wings and very weak wing muscles), but they can run very fast, reaching speeds of up to 30 mph.
Female emus lay very large eggs which are dark green-black in colour. The females will lay between 5-15 eggs in a clutch. However, it is the male that incubates the eggs, foregoing food and water throughout the duration of the incubation. The male emu also guards the chicks from predators for the first few months of their lives.

Emus can be particularly vocal, with some of their calls being heard up to 2km away.

Female emus lay very large eggs which are dark green-black in colour. The females will lay between 5-15 eggs in a clutch. However, it is the male that incubates the eggs, foregoing food and water throughout the duration of the incubation. The male emu also guards the chicks from predators for the first few months of their lives.

Emus can be particularly vocal, with some of their calls being heard up to 2km away.