The emu is a large, maybe even huge, bird - 1.6 to 1.9 m tall and weighing in at 30 - 45 kg. It is endemic to Australia - meaning it occurs nowhere else. It can be found of most of the continent, but it's absent from Tasmania. There were once smaller species on King and Kangaroo Islands, but these species are now extinct.
Both the common and scientific names have a tale to tell about the European settlement of Australia. The name Emu is thought to be a corruption of the Portuguese word 'ema' which was used to describe all the large flightless birds that sailors encountered. Equally investing is the idea that although the name is Portuguese in origin, it was bestowed on the Australian bird by Dutch sailors - Portuguese was a kind of "common tongue" between sailors in the East Indies in the late 1700's.
The scientific name reflects both the biology of the bird and the history of Australia - Dromaius novaehollandiae - means New Holland racer. New Holland is an old name for Australia and the bird can run at around 50 kph (30+ mph) if needs be. So this all makes sense.
These birds were doing nowhere near their top speed as they wandered past the boundary of the house we were staying in last week; this rather reduced the drama, but made for easier focusing!
Would love to see these birds out in the wild. Such amazing creatures and incredibly different from the birds here in North America. Large running birds!!!! Epic!
ReplyDeleteno link showing today.
ReplyDeletei'll check back in an hour. cool emus.
ReplyDeleteNo link showing. Lovely Emus
ReplyDeleteI bet they would empty the feeders pretty quickly. From Findlay
ReplyDeleteThe post came up...and I really liked the emu photos, but the linking is later than the post by about an hour.
ReplyDeleteI'll come back later.
My Birds HERE
Hey Steawrt, where's Rod Hull not to mention the link?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful Emus and great shots for the day, Stewart!!
ReplyDeleteThey're huge birds when you see them up close. They have beautiful eyes.
ReplyDeleteThey remind me of Sandhill Cranes who've put on a few pounds, and set their wings aside to rest.
ReplyDeleteIncredible birds aren't they! Great captures Stewart. I rarely saw them, but when I did they were running at top speed.
ReplyDeleteAt 30mph I couldn't even keep up with this bird on by bike even going downhill with a strong wind at my back. :-0
ReplyDeleteInteresting-looking bird, Stewart. A farm near me has one but I have no idea where the farmer keeps it during the cold winter months.
ReplyDeleteNice birds and a nice shot ,Nette
ReplyDeleteNice one Stewart.
ReplyDeleteOh, what beautiful views of the emu! I especially love that last photo where they are going back into the woods together.
ReplyDeleteInteresting bird and great close shots!
ReplyDeleteAwesome Emus! :)
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time I see these birds in the flesh. They're a lot fluffier than I imagined. They also a lot prettier than our ostriches, which is our large, flightless bird. I like the scientific name. Thanks for explaining it and for sharing these beautiful images. Greetings Jo
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pics of Emu- freely wandering. I have seen few in India but felt sorry for them. They were caged under the hot sun.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing photos of birds from far-away places. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThey make a handsome pair ... they look a little wet, but that doesn't seem to hinder their appearance. Intersing information on how they came to be called Emus. A little confusing that the Dutch named them in Portugese, but hey, life is always a little confusing so I'll just go with the flow. You seem to be taking a lot of little trips these days ... work or play? Or, as I would have it, both! Have a great week Stewart ...
ReplyDeleteAndrea @ From the Sol
Emus certainly are intriguing birds...and they become intrigued very easily, too.
ReplyDeleteI've had a couple of encounters with them.
Odd and strange bird. Maybe tasty? MB
ReplyDeleteStewart, I always thought of the Emu as a farm animal.. Cool seeing them in the wild.. Great shots. Thanks for hosting, have a happy week!
ReplyDeleteWhat a neat-looking bird! Seems so exotic!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting birds and photos, in palaeontolgy there was the recent model for the reconstruction of bipedal walking of dinosaurs.
ReplyDeleteI've only seen these guys at zoos. I've always found them interesting birds! Nice shots!
ReplyDeleteGreat Emu photos. To really understand how huge these birds are you need to be standing fairly close. They are much bigger than I had imagined the first time I was near one.
ReplyDeleteAmazing birds and great shots of them, Stewart!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures of the emu, Stewart.
ReplyDeleteThese you see here only in the zoo.
Best regards, Irma
These are really cool birds. There are some people around here that have a couple on their farm.
ReplyDeleteNow that is one amazing backyard bird!
ReplyDeleteI have seen them at the Wildlife Safari here in Oregon and on farms a couple of times. Once my friend who lived in a semi-rural neighborhood complained that the down-the-street emu kept wandering into her yard and scaring her dog.
Would love to see them in their native habitat.
How wonderful to see these birds in the wild! Nice captures, Stewart.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to see these birds in the wild! Nice captures, Stewart.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos Stewart! Is this beauty related to an ostrich or cassowary?
ReplyDeleteThey're such goofy cute creatures.
ReplyDeleteHoly moosepoops they're fast!!!...:)JP
ReplyDeleteI've learnt something today Stewart. Great post and what a bird.
ReplyDeleteAlways so wonderful seeing these emus in the areas where they belong. Lovely share. I only get to see them at zoos and wildlife parks...sigh!!
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