The emu (/ ˈ iː m juː /; Dromaius novaehollandiae) is a species of flightless bird endemic to Australia, where it is the tallest native bird. It is the only extant member of the genus Dromaius and the third-tallest living bird after its African ratite relatives, the common ostrich and Somali ostrich. The emu's native ranges cover most of the ...

Male and female emus are similar in appearance although females are generally larger. Emus have soft, long, brown feathers on their plumage which has a shaggy appearance and shorter downy feathers on their heads.

Emus mate for life; the male incubates 7 to 10 dark green eggs, 13 cm (5 inches) long, in a ground nest for about 60 days. The striped young soon run with the adults. In small flocks, emus forage for fruits and insects but may also damage crops.

Emu Profile. At least in Britain, the closest most people ever got to an emu was a mischievous toy bird with a man’s hand up it. But there’s so much more to these animals than is commonly known.

Emu height usually averages 5.7 feet (1.8 meters). Males can weigh anywhere from 110 to 121 pounds (50 to 55 kilograms), females typically weigh 10 pounds (4 kilograms) more. The feathers are grayish brown but lighten during the season.

The emu is the second largest living bird and the largest bird found in Australia. Its height averages 5.7 feet (1.75 meters). Males weigh 110 to 121 pounds (50 to 55 kilograms), and females weigh about 11 pounds (5 kilograms) more than males.

The Emu is Australia's tallest native bird, reaching between 1.6 m and 1.9 m when standing erect. Adult Emus are covered with shaggy grey-brown feathers except for the neck and head, which are largely naked and bluish-black.

It is the male emus that incubate the eggs, and stay with the newly born chicks for six months. Image credit: shutterstock. Often silent, the emu does make deep booming, guttural sounds during the breeding season and chicks can be heard …

A male makes a sound like a pig’s grunt and a female makes loud booming sounds. Emus require water daily. When the weather is cold, they recycle air in their nasal passages to create moisture they can use.

The male Emu becomes a dedicated father, guarding the nest for about eight weeks without eating, drinking, or straying away. Even after the emu chicks hatch, the male Emu protects them for about seven months.