World Travel 4 Indians

Emu in Australia

The flightless bird - Emu is the largest bird living in Australia. Emu is a very important member of the Australia Wildlife Attractions because it is the third largest bird in the world.

This bird is found mainly in the open forests and grass lands and lives on a variety of diet, ranging form fruits and flowers to insects and seeds.

The name 'emu' is not an Aboriginal word. It appears to have been derived from an Arabic word for large bird. It was later adopted by early Portuguese explorers and applied to cassowaries in eastern Indonesia.

The term was subsequently transferred to the Emu by early European explorers to Australia. The first specimen collected in 1788 by Europeans was from what is now an inner suburb of Sydney of Redfern.

"So what if I can't fly, I can run really fast and can swim even better" - this is what Emu might have said to the visitors if birds could talk!

The Emu runs at a speed of 40 miles per hour and is well adapted for living in diverse climatic conditions. It can store food in the form of fat and use it when there is scarcity.

The Emu is one of the oldest inhabitants of Australia, living there for almost 80 million years. The strangest fact about the Emu is that it drinks 2-4 gallons of water every day!

Even stranger that that, they eat small pebbles so that the food that they eat can be grinded properly! Now, please do not try this at home because this stunt is especially for the Emu!

The Emu is found only in Australia. It lives throughout most of the continent, ranging from coastal regions to high in the Snowy Mountains.

The main habitats are sclerophyll forest and savanna woodland. These birds are rarely found in rainforest or very arid areas.

Emus were once found in Tasmania, but were exterminated soon after Europeans arrived. Two dwarf species of emus that lived on Kangaroo Island and King Island also became extinct.

The Emu is also an important part of the culture of Australia. That is why you will find parks and creeks with the name of Emu.

It is a very playful bird and most of the times you will find it playing in the mud and water. The Emus go for dates too! And why not, after all they also have hearts.

When they date, the female emu invites her boyfriend by making strange sounds! Now, this is common between humans and emus