Emu
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Struthioniformes Family: Casuariidae Genus: Dromaius Species: D. The conservation status of a Species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future Least Concern ( LC) is an IUCN category assigned to extant species or lower taxa which have been evaluated but do not qualify for any other category The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. A ratite is any of a diverse group of large Flightless birds of Gondwanan origin most of them now extinct The bird family Casuariidae has four surviving members the three Species of Cassowary, and the only remaining species of Emu. Dromaius is a genus of Ratite present in Australia There is one extant species Dromaius novaehollandiae commonly known as the Emu novaehollandiae
Binomial name
Dromaius novaehollandiae (Latham, 1790)
The Emu has been recorded in the areas shown in pink. John Latham ( June 27, 1740 - February 4, 1837) was an English Physician, naturalist and Author.
Synonyms
Dromiceius novaehollandiae

The Emu (pronunciation: IPA: /ˈiːmjuː/^[1][2]), Dromaius novaehollandiae, is the largest bird native to Australia and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. In Scientific nomenclature, synonyms are different Scientific names used for a single Taxon. Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Extant is a term commonly used to refer to Taxa (such as Species, genera or families) that are still in existence (living A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic Dromaius is a genus of Ratite present in Australia There is one extant species Dromaius novaehollandiae commonly known as the Emu It is also the second-largest extant bird in the world by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. A ratite is any of a diverse group of large Flightless birds of Gondwanan origin most of them now extinct The Ostrich ( Struthio camelus) is a large Flightless bird native to Africa (and formerly the Middle East) The soft-feathered, brown, flightless birds reach up to 2 m (6. Flightless birds are birds which lack the ability to fly relying instead on their ability to run or swim and are thought to have evolved from their flying ancestors 5 ft) in height. The Emu is common over most of mainland Australia, although it avoids heavily populated areas, dense forest and arid areas. Emus can travel great distances at a fast, economical trot and, if necessary, can sprint at 50 km/h (30 mph) for some distance at a time. (For the South African airport with IATA code "KMH" see Johan Pienaar Airport. ^[3] They are opportunistically nomadic and may travel long distances to find food; they feed on a variety of plants and insects.

The Emu subspecies that previously inhabited Tasmania became extinct after the European settlement of Australia in 1788; and the distribution of the mainland subspecies has been influenced by human activities. Tasmania is an Australian island and state of the same name It is located south of the eastern side of the Continent, being separated from it by Bass Once common on the east coast, Emu are now uncommon; by contrast, the development of agriculture and the provision of water for stock in the interior of the continent have increased the range of the Emu in arid regions. Emus are farmed for their meat, oil and leather. Emu oil is an Oil made from the fat of the Emu, a bird native to Australia

Taxonomy and distribution

The emu was first described under the name of the New Holland Cassowary in Arthur Phillip's Voyage to Botany Bay, published in 1789. Admiral Arthur Phillip RN (11 October 1738 &ndash 31 August 1814 was a British naval Admiraland colonial administrator ^[4] The species was named by ornithologist John Latham, who collaborated on Phillip's book and provided the first descriptions of and names for many Australian bird species; its name is Latin for "fast-footed New Hollander". John Latham ( June 27, 1740 - February 4, 1837) was an English Physician, naturalist and Author. A botanical name is a formal scientific name conforming to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature (ICBN and if the plant is a Cultigen, the New Holland is a historic name for the Island Continent of Australia. The etymology of the common name Emu is uncertain, but is thought to have come from an Arabic word for large bird that was later used by Portuguese explorers to describe the related Cassowary in New Guinea. Etymology is the study of the History of Words &mdash when they entered a language from what source and how their form and meaning have changed over time Cassowaries ( Genus Casuarius) are very large flightless Birds native to the Tropical forests of New Guinea and New Guinea, located just north of Australia, is the world's second largest island, having become separated from the Australian mainland when the area now known ^[5] In Victoria, some terms for the emu were Barrimal in the Djadja wurrung language, myoure in Gunai, and courn in Jardwadjali. The Gunai or Kurnai is one of the Aboriginal nations of Australia. ^[6]

In his original 1816 description of the emu, Vieillot used two generic names; first Dromiceius, then Dromaius a few pages later. Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot ( May 10, 1748 - 1831 was a French Ornithologist. A genus (plural genera from Γένος Latin genus "descent family type gender" is a low-level Taxonomic It has been a point of contention ever since which is correct; the latter is more correctly formed, but the convention in taxonomy is that the first name given stands, unless it is clearly a typographical error. Taxonomy, sometimes alpha taxonomy, is the Science of finding describing and categorising Organisms thus giving rise to taxonomic groups or taxa ^[7] Most modern publications, including those of the Australian government,^[8] use Dromaius, with Dromiceius mentioned as an alternative spelling.

Classification

Emu eyes are golden brown to black. The naked skin on the neck is bluish-black

The Emu is classified in the family with their closest relatives the Cassowaries in the family Casuariidae in the ratite order Struthioniformes. Cassowaries ( Genus Casuarius) are very large flightless Birds native to the Tropical forests of New Guinea and The bird family Casuariidae has four surviving members the three Species of Cassowary, and the only remaining species of Emu. A ratite is any of a diverse group of large Flightless birds of Gondwanan origin most of them now extinct A ratite is any of a diverse group of large Flightless birds of Gondwanan origin most of them now extinct However an alternate classification has been proposed splitting the Casuariidae into their own order Casuariformes.

Three different Dromaius species were common in Australia before European settlement, and one species is known from fossils. Dromaius is a genus of Ratite present in Australia There is one extant species Dromaius novaehollandiae commonly known as the Emu The small emus — Dromaius baudinianus and D. ater — both became extinct shortly after; however, the Emu, D. Kangaroo Island Emu ( Dromaius baudinianus) is an Extinct member of the Bird family Casuariidae. The King Island Emu or Black Emu ( Dromaius ater) is an Extinct Ratite species which occurred on King Island between mainland In Biology and Ecology, extinction is the cessation of existence of a Species or group of taxa. novaehollandiae, remains common. The population varies from decade to decade, largely dependent on rainfall; it is estimated that the Emu population is 625,000–725,000, with 100,000–200,000 in Western Australia and the remainder mostly in New South Wales and Queensland. Western Australia is a state occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern corner of the mainland continent ^[5] D. novaehollandiae diemenensis, a subspecies known as the Tasmanian Emu, became extinct around 1865. The Tasmanian Emu ( Dromaius novaehollandiae diemenensis) is an Extinct Subspecies of the Emu. Emus were introduced to Maria Island off Tasmania and Kangaroo Island near South Australia during the 20th century. Maria Island is a mountainous island off the east coast of Tasmania. Kangaroo Island is Australia 's third largest Island - after Tasmania and Melville Island. The Kangaroo Island birds have established a breeding population there. The Maria Island population became extinct in the mid-1990s.

There are three extant subspecies in Australia:

• In the southeast, D. In Zoology, as in other branches of Biology, subspecies is the Taxonomic rank immediately subordinate to a Species.  novaehollandiae novaehollandiae, with its whitish ruff when breeding;
• In the north, D.  novaehollandiae woodwardi, slender and paler; and
• In the southwest, D.  novaehollandiae rothschildi, darker, with no ruff during breeding.

Description

Emus have only three toes in a tridactyl arrangement; this adaptation for running is seen in other bird species, such as bustards and quails. In Biology, dactyly is the arrangement of digits ( Fingers and Toes on the Hands feet, or sometimes Wings of a Bustards are large terrestrial Birds mainly associated with dry open country and steppes in the Old World. Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized Birds in the Pheasant family Phasianidae, or in the family Odontophoridae. The Ostrich has only two toes

Emus are large birds. The Ostrich ( Struthio camelus) is a large Flightless bird native to Africa (and formerly the Middle East) The largest can reach up to two metres (6 ft 7 inches) in height (1–1. 3 metres (3. 2–4. 3 ft) at the shoulder) and weigh between 30 and 55 kilograms (66–121 pounds). The pound or pound-mass (abbreviation lb, lbm, or sometimes in the United States #) is a unit of Mass ^[9]. > They have small vestigial wings and a long neck and legs. Vestigiality describes homologous characters of Organisms which have lost all or most of their original function in a species through Their ability to run at high speeds is due to their highly specialised pelvic limb musculature. Their feet have only three toes and a similarly reduced number of bones and associated foot muscles; they are the only birds with gastrocnemius muscles in the back of the lower legs. In humans the gastrocnemius (pronounced /ˌgæstrɑkˈnimiəs/ muscle is a very powerful superficial Muscle that is in the back part of the lower leg The pelvic limb muscles of Emus have a similar contribution to total body mass as the flight muscles of flying birds. ^[10]

Emu head.

Emus have brown to grey-brown plumage of shaggy appearance; the shafts and the tips of the feathers are black. Feathers are one of the epidermal growths that form the distinctive outer covering or Plumage, on Birds They are considered the most complex integumentary structures Solar radiation is absorbed by the tips, and the loose-packed inner plumage insulates the skin. Plumage refers both to the layer of Feathers that cover a Bird and the pattern colour and arrangement of those feathers The resultant heat is prevented from flowing to the skin by the insulation provided by the coat,^[11] allowing the bird to be active during the heat of the day. A unique feature of the Emu feather is its double rachis emerging from a single shaft. The sexes are similar in appearance.

On very hot days, Emus pant to maintain their body temperature, their lungs work as evaporative coolers and, unlike some other species, the resulting low levels of carbon dioxide in the blood do not appear to cause alkalosis. Thermoregulation is the ability of an Organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries even when temperature surrounding is very different Evaporation is the process by which Molecules in a Liquid state (e Carbon dioxide ( Chemical formula:) is a Chemical compound composed of two Oxygen Atoms covalently bonded to a single Alkalosis refers to a condition reducing Hydrogen ion concentration of arterial Blood plasma ( alkalemia) ^[12] For normal breathing in cooler weather, they have large, multifolded nasal passages. Cool air warms as it passes through into the lungs, extracting heat from the nasal region. On exhalation, the Emu's cold nasal turbinates condense moisture back out of the air and absorb it for reuse. In Anatomy, a turbinate (or nasal concha) is a long narrow and curled bone shelf (shaped like an elongated sea-shell which protrudes into the breathing passage ^[13]

Their calls consist of loud booming, drumming and grunting sounds that can be heard up to two kilometers away. The booming sound is created in an inflatable neck sac. ^[5]

Ecology and behaviour

Emus live in most habitats across Australia, although they are most common in areas of sclerophyll forest and savanna woodland, and least common in populated and very arid areas. Sclerophyll is a type of vegetation that has hard leaves and short internodes (the distance between leaves along the stem A savanna or savannah is a Tropical or Subtropical Grassland or Woodland Ecosystem. Emus are largely solitary, and while they can form enormous flocks, this is an atypical social behaviour that arises from the common need to move towards food sources. Emus have been shown to travel long distances to reach abundant feeding areas. In Western Australia, Emu movements follow a distinct seasonal pattern — north in summer and south in winter. Western Australia is a state occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. On the east coast their wanderings do not appear to follow a pattern. ^[14] Emus are also able to swim when necessary.

Diet

Emus forage in a diurnal pattern. A day (symbol d is a unit of Time equivalent to 24 Hours and the duration of a single Rotation of planet Earth with respect to the They eat a variety of native and introduced plant species; the type of plants eaten depends on seasonal availability. They also eat insects, including grasshoppers and crickets, lady birds, soldier and saltbush caterpillars, Bogong and cotton-boll moth larvae and ants. Grasshoppers are Insects of the suborder Caelifera in the order Orthoptera. Crickets, family Gryllidae (also known as "true crickets" are Insects somewhat related to Grasshoppers and more closely related to katydids The Bogong moth ( Agrotis infusa) is a temperate Species of night-flying Moth notable for appearing in large numbers around major public buildings Heliothis is a Genus of Moths whose Larvae are agricultural pests on crop species such as Tobacco, Cotton, Soybean ^[15] In Western Australia, food preferences have been observed in travelling Emus: they eat seeds from Acacia aneura until it rains, after which they eat fresh grass shoots and caterpillars; in winter they feed on the leaves and pods of Cassia; in spring, they feed on grasshoppers and the fruit of Santalum acuminatum: a sort of quandong. Acacia aneura, commonly known as Mulga or True Mulga, is a shrub or small tree native to arid Outback Australia. Santalum acuminatum, the Desert Quandong, is an Australian plant in the Sandalwood family Santalaceae. Quandong (alternative spelling Quongdong) is the name given to a number of Australian wild bush plants and their edible fruits ^[3][16] Emus serve as an important agent for the dispersal of large viable seeds, which contributes to floral biodiversity. ^[17][16]

Breeding

Emu chicks have distinctive bilateral stripes that help to camouflage them

Emus form breeding pairs during the summer months of December and January, and may remain together for about five months. Mating occurs in the cooler months of May and June. During the breeding season, males experience hormonal changes, including an increase in luteinizing hormone and testosterone levels, and their testicles double in size. Luteinizing hormone ( LH, also known as lutropin) is a Hormone produced by the Anterior pituitary gland. Testosterone is a Steroid hormone from the Androgen group In mammals testosterone is primarily secreted in the testes of males and the Ovaries The testicle (from Latin testiculus, diminutive of testis, meaning "witness" virility plural testes) is the male ^[18] Males lose their appetite and construct a rough nest in a semi-sheltered hollow on the ground from bark, grass, sticks and leaves. The pair mates every day or two, and every second or third day the female lays an average of 11 (and as many as 20) very large, thick-shelled, dark-green eggs. The eggs are on average 134 x 89 millimeters (5. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International 3 x 3. 5 inches) and weigh between 700 and 900 grams (1. For other uses of the words gram or gramme see Gram (disambiguation. 5–2 pounds),^[19] which is roughly equivalent to 10–12 chicken eggs in volume and weight. The first verified occurrence of genetically identical avian twins was demonstrated in the Emu. ^[20]

The male becomes broody after his mate starts laying, and begins to incubate the eggs before the laying period is complete. From this time on, he does not eat, drink or defecate, and stands only to turn the eggs, which he does about 10 times a day. Over eight weeks of incubation, he will lose a third of his weight and will survive only on stored body-fat and on any morning dew that he can reach from the nest. As with many other Australian birds, such as the Superb Fairy-wren, infidelity is the norm for Emus, despite the initial pair-bond: once the male starts brooding, the female mates with other males and may lay in multiple clutches; thus, as many as half the chicks in a brood may be fathered by others, or by neither parent as Emus also exhibit brood parasitism. The Superb Fairy-wren ( Malurus cyaneus) also known as Superb Blue-wren or colloquially as Blue wren, is a common and familiar Passerine bird Brood parasites are organisms that use the strategy of brood-parasitism, a kind of Kleptoparasitism found among Birds Fish or Insects ^[21] Some females stay and defend the nest until the chicks start hatching, but most leave the nesting area completely to nest again; in a good season, a female Emu may nest three times. ^[14]

Incubation takes 56 days, and the male stops incubating the eggs shortly before they hatch. ^[14] Newly hatched chicks are active and can leave the nest within a few days. They stand about 25 centimetres tall and have distinctive brown and cream stripes for camouflage, which fade after three months or so. The male stays with the growing chicks for up to 18 months, defending them and teaching them how to find food. ^[19] Chicks grow very quickly and are full-grown in 12–14 months; they may remain with their family group for another six months or so before they split up to breed in their second season. In the wild, Emus live between 10 to 20 years;^[22] captive birds can live longer than those in the wild.

Relationship with humans

Conservation status

Emus were used as a source of food by indigenous Australians and early European settlers. Indigenous Australians are descendants of the first known human inhabitants of the Australian continent and its nearby islands. Aborigines used a variety of techniques to catch the bird, including spearing them while they drank at waterholes, poisoning waterholes, catching Emus in nets, and attracting Emus by imitating their calls or with a ball of feathers and rags dangled from a tree. ^[19] Europeans killed Emus to provide food and to remove them if they interfered with farming or invaded settlements in search of water during drought. An extreme example of this was the Emu War in Western Australia in 1932, when Emus that flocked to Campion during a hot summer scared the town’s inhabitants and an unsuccessful attempt to drive them off was mounted. The Emu War was a week-long military operation undertaken in Australia in November 1932 to address public concern over the number of Emus said to be running amuck in In John Gould's Handbook to the Birds of Australia, first published in 1865, he laments the loss of the Emu from Tasmania, where it had become rare and has since become extinct; he notes that Emus were no longer common in the vicinity of Sydney and proposes that the species be given protected status. John Gould ( 14 September 1804 – 3 February 1881) was an English Ornithologist. ^[4] Wild Emus are formally protected in Australia under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act is an Act of the Parliament of Australia that provides a framework for protection of the

Although the population of Emus on mainland Australia is thought to be higher now than before European settlement,^[5] some wild populations are at risk of local extinction due to small population size. Threats to small populations include the clearance and fragmentation of areas of habitat; deliberate slaughter; collisions with vehicles; and predation of the young and eggs by foxes, feral and domestic dogs, and feral pigs. The isolated Emu population of the New South Wales North Coast Bioregion and Port Stephens is listed as endangered by the New South Wales Government. } Port Stephens Council is a Local Government Area (LGA in the Hunter Region of Australia, located just north of Newcastle in New South ^[23]

Economic value

The Emu was an important source of meat to the Aborigines in the areas to which it was endemic. Emu fat was used as bush medicine, and was rubbed on the skin. It also served as a valuable lubricant. It was mixed with ochre to make the traditional paint for ceremonial body adornment, as well as to oil wooden tools and utensils such as the coolamon. The Ochre Pits are a popular tourist destination in Australia 's Northern Territory, approximately 50 kilometres west of Alice Springs along the Larapinta A coolamon is an Indigenous Australian carrying vessel. It is a multi-purpose shallow vessel or dish with curved sides ranging in length from 30–70cm ^[24]

An example of how the Emu was cooked comes from the Arrernte of Central Australia who call it Kere ankerre:

Emus are around all the time, in green times and dry times. The Arrernte (also Aranda and Arrarnta) (pronounced UH-rrahn-da are those Indigenous Australians who are the original custodians of Arrernte lands Central Australia/Alice Springs Region is one of the five regions in the Northern Territory. You pluck the feathers out first, then pull out the crop from the stomach, and put in the feathers you've pulled out, and then singe it on the fire. You wrap the milk guts that you've pulled out into something [such as] gum leaves and cook them. When you've got the fat off, you cut the meat up and cook it on fire made from river red gum wood. ^[25]

Farmed Emu at Virginia's Emu Marketing Cooperative near Warrenton, Virginia, US. Warrenton is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States.

Commercial Emu farming started in Western Australia in 1987 and the first slaughtering occurred in 1990. Western Australia is a state occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. ^[26] In Australia, the commercial industry is based on stock bred in captivity and all states except Tasmania have licensing requirements to protect wild Emus. Outside Australia, Emus are farmed on a large scale in North America, with about 1 million birds in the US,^[27] Peru and China, and to a lesser extent in some other countries. Peru (Perú Piruw Piruw officially the Republic of Peru ( reˈpuβlika del peˈɾu is a country in western South America. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Emus breed well in captivity, and are kept in large open pens to avoid leg and digestive problems that arise with inactivity. They are typically fed on grain supplemented by grazing, and are slaughtered at 50–70 weeks of age. They eat two times a day and prefer 5 pounds of leaves each meal.

Emus are farmed primarily for their meat, leather and oil. Emu oil is an Oil made from the fat of the Emu, a bird native to Australia Emu meat is a low-fat, low-cholesterol meat (85 mg/100 g); despite being avian, it is considered a red meat because of its red colour and pH value. For mammal meat see Red meat. For the band see Red Meat (band. ^[28][27] The best cuts come from the thigh and the larger muscles of the drum or lower leg. Emu fat is rendered to produce oil for cosmetics, dietary supplements and therapeutic products. There is some evidence that the oil has anti-inflammatory properties;^[29] however, the US Food and Drug Administration regards pure emu oil product as an unapproved drug. Emu leather has a distinctive patterned surface, due to a raised area around the feather follicles in the skin; the leather is used in such small items as wallets and shoes, often in combination with other leathers. The feathers and eggs are used in decorative arts and crafts.

Cultural references

New South Wales 100th Anniversary stamp

The Emu has a prominent place in Australian Aboriginal mythology, including a creation myth of the Yuwaalaraay and other groups in NSW who say that the sun was made by throwing an Emu's egg into the sky; the bird features in numerous aetiological stories told across a number of Aboriginal groups. Australian Aboriginal myths (also known as Dreamtime stories Songlines or Aboriginal Oral literature) are the stories traditionally performed A creation myth is a supernatural mytho-[[religion religious]] story or explanation that describes the beginnings of humanity, Earth, life, and The Gamilaraay or Kamilaroi (see below for other spellings language is a Pama-Nyungan language of the Wiradhuric subgroup found mostly in South East Etiology (alternatively aetiology, aitiology) is the study of causation. ^[30] The Kurdaitcha man of Central Australia is said to wear sandals made of emu feathers to mask his footprints. Kurdaitcha (or kurdaitcha man is a ritual " Executioner " in Australian Aboriginal culture Central Australia/Alice Springs Region is one of the five regions in the Northern Territory.

The Emu is popularly but unofficially considered as a faunal emblem—the national bird of Australia. This is a list of national birds, most official but some unofficial Angola - Peregrine Falcon, Falco peregrinus * Anguilla ^[31] It appears as a shield bearer on the Coat of Arms of Australia with the Red Kangaroo and as a part of the Arms also appears on the Australian 50 cent coin. The Coat of Arms of Australia (formally known as Commonwealth Coat of Arms) is the official symbol of Australia. The Red Kangaroo ( Macropus rufus) is the largest of all Kangaroos the largest Mammal native to Australia, and the largest surviving Coins of the Australian dollar were introduced on 14 February 1966. It has featured on numerous Australian postage stamps, including a pre-federation New South Wales 100th Anniversary issue from 1888, which featured a 2 pence blue Emu stamp, a 36 cent stamp released in 1986, and a $1. A postage stamp is an adhesive paper evidence of pre-paying a fee for postal services The federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South A penny (pl pence or pennies) is a Coin or a unit of Currency used in several English -speaking countries 35 stamp released in 1994. The hats of the Australian Light Horse were famously decorated with an Emu feather plume. Australian Light Horse were mounted troops with characteristics of both Cavalry and Mounted infantry.

There are around 600 gazetted places named after the Emu in Australia, including mountains, lakes, creeks and towns. The Gazetteer of Australia is a register of the location and spelling of geographical names across Australia. ^[32] During the 19th and 20th centuries, many Australian companies and household products were named after the bird; for example, in Western Australia, Emu branded beer has been produced since the early 20th century. The Swan Brewery continues to produce a range of Emu branded beers. The Swan Brewery ( was founded in the centre of Perth, Australia in 1837 Emu is a Beer label owned by Lion Nathan. It is brewed by the Swan Brewery in Western Australia. Emu - Austral Ornithology is the quarterly peer-reviewed publication of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union, also known as Birds Australia. Emu, subtitled "Austral Ornithology" ( ISSN 0158-4197 is the peer-reviewed Scientific journal of the Royal Australasian Ornithologists The Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union, also known as Birds Australia, was founded in 1901 to promote the study and conservation of the native Bird

See also

• Birds of Australia
• Fauna of Australia

References

External links

• BirdLife International (2004). Dromaius novaehollandiae. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List) created in 1963 is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 9 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
• Emu chicks emerging, article with sound clips, photos and videos.
• "Kangaroo feathers" and the Australian Light Horse from the Australian War Memorial
• Emu videos on the Internet Bird Collection
• [1] A discussion of Emu eggs and how to cook them