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Project Noah Nature School
Dromaius novaehollandiae
Toronto zoo
The word emu comes from the Portuguese word 'ema', which means 'large bird'. Standing up to 2 m tall, adult male emus are Australia's largest birds. In size, they are second only to ostriches in the world. Their powerful legs give them great speed, some running up to 50 km per hour. At full pace, an emu's stride can measure up to 3 m.
The emu belongs to a group of flightless running birds with flat breastbones known as ratites. Ratites are the oldest of modern bird families. They include kiwis, ostriches and cassowaries. The emu's feathers are very primitive and look like a form of coarse hair. The special nature of these feathers enables emus to cope with extreme changes in weather.
The emu's tracheal pouch, which is part of its windpipe, is used for communication. It is over 30 cm long and very thin-walled, and it allows the bird to produce deep guttural grunts. This pouch develops fully during the breeding season and is most frequently used during courtship.
I have updated this spotting with additional ID information. It is a great spotting. I don't believe that I have ever seen one before.
Spotted on Oct 9, 2011
Submitted on Oct 11, 2011
