Contrary to the song 'Old Man Emu' by John Williamson, the flightless Emu can't run the pants off a kangaroo. But they can sure give one a run for their money!
John Robert Williamson AM (born 1 November 1945 in Kerang, Victoria) is an Australian country music and folk music singer-songwriter. Williamson has released over forty albums, ten videos, five DVDs, and two lyric books. His top 10 albums on the ARIA Charts are Mallee Boy (1986), Boomerang Cafe (1988), Warragul (No. 1, 1989), Pipe Dream (1997), The Way It Is (1999), True Blue Two (compilation, 2003) and Hillbilly Road (2008). On Australia Day (26 January) 1992 Williamson was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) with the citation:
"for service to Australian country music and in stimulating awareness of conservation issues".
He has received twenty-six Golden Guitar trophies at the Country Music Awards of Australia, he has won three ARIA Music Awards for Best Country Album and, in 2010, was inducted into the related Hall of Fame.
Williamson has also featured in a number of television series as well as This is Your Life. Many of his albums have gone gold and platinum and continue to do so. He has sold more than 4,000,000 albums in Australia alone. In 1970 Williamson's first song, "Old Man Emu", went to No. 3 and was given a gold certification.
Anyway, after all that, this blog isn't really about John Williamson - as talented as he is - but rather about one of Australia's more unique animals - the Emu...
About the Emu
The Emu is a bird that towers over you and can out-run you, yet can’t get off the ground. Loping across the countryside with a body looking more like an overgrown sheepdog, perched on top of massive reptilian legs, an Emu is certainly an amazing sight.
An amused Emu
Emus are only found in Australia. They live in most habitats across Australia but are most commonly found in areas of savanna woodland and sclerophyll forest (a type of vegetation that has hard leaves and short distances between leaves along the stems) . They are very rarely found in rainforests 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.
Even though emus are sometimes farmed for their meat, oil and leather their population is not considered to be endangered or vulnerable. Although humans have impacted on some areas of their habitat they have been able to move into other areas due to agricultural development and water provided for livestock letting them live in areas that would once have been to dry for them.
Social Life of an Emu
Emus typically stay together in pairs or family groups consisting of the male and his offspring, but may form into large flocks when they are travelling to a food source. Emus can travel large distances to reach good feeding areas, sometimes even hundreds of kilometres. In Western Australia emus move following a seasonal pattern, going north in the summer and south in the winter.
Emus sleep during the night but do not sleep continously for the whole night, they can wake up several times during the night to either feed or go to the toilet. Emus sit down to sleep and it seems that this is also helpful to camouflage them as they look like a small hill when sleeping. They sleep for about 7 hours each day.
Emus are quite vocal birds and their vocalizations include a loud booming noise which is created by an inflatable neck sac that has a thin wall and is around 30 centimeters (12 inches) long. They also make grunting sounds and a deep-throated drumming sound. These sounds are usually used during courtship and the breeding season and can be heard up to 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) away. They can also make a very loud hissing sound which is effective for scaring off dingoes.
They are human fearless birds and have been known to approach small groups of humans and help themselves to any food on offer.
Interesting Emu Facts:
The Emu is the second largest bird in the world.
Emus can't fly. They only have small wings which provide stability during running.
An Emu, along with a kangaroo, appear on the Australian Coat of Arms.
Australian Coat of Arms depicitng an emu and a kangaroo
They are hunted for their meat, fat and feathers.
Emus are very large birds. Females are slightly larger than males. They reach between 1.5 - 2 meters (5 and 6.5 feet) in height and can weigh up to 60 kilograms (130 pounds).
They have a long neck, sharp beak and small ears. Their bodies are covered with light-brown feathers. Each feather has a double shaft.
An Emu has two eyelids. One eyelid is used for blinking, while other prevents dust and sand to enter the eyes.
The Emu has three toes on each foot. Their legs are strong and built for running and are also used for kicking predators when faced with danger.
The three toes of an emu are useful for kicking predators.
Emus are omnivores (eating both plants and animals). They like to eat caterpillars, large insects, small lizards, rodents, flowers, seed, buds and shoots.
An Emu swallows small rocks and pebbles to facilitate grinding of food and accelerate digestion.
When it is running the Emu's stride can be about 2.7 metres (9 feet) long.
A running Emu has a stride of about 2.7 metres (9 feet)
They requires water on a daily basis. During cold weather, they recycle air in the nasal passages for creating the moisture that can be used to sustain them.
Unlike water, an emu can survive long periods without food. It stores fat that is used as a source of energy when the food is scarce.
Emus are usually solitary animals, but they sometimes travel in pairs. They can, however, gather in large flocks when travelling for food.
Emus can gather in huge flocks when looking for food.
An Emu is a fast running animal. It can reach nearly 50 kilometers (30 miles) per hour.
An Emu can travel thousands of kilometers each year.
Emus are excellent swimmers. They can easily cross a river while looking for food and new feeding areas.
Emus are excellent swimmers.
Emus mate during summer and lay eggs during the cooler months. A female lays between 8 and 10 eggs. Since the eggs are large, female lays one egg every 2 to 3 days.
Emu eggs are dark green in color, have thick shell and weight around .45 kilograms (1 pound). The male sits on eggs during an 8 weeks incubation period. During that time, the male does not eat but uses stored fats as a source of energy.
This picture gives you an idea of how large an emu egg is.
Emu chicks are active as soon as they hatch. Their body is covered with stripes of brown and creamy-colored soft feathers that provide camouflage. After three months, their plumage starts to look like the feathers of adult animals.
Emu chicks showing their brown and gold stripes.
Emus are the only birds with gastrocnemius muscles (the same as human calf muscles) in the back of the lower legs.
The lifespan of the emu is between 10-20 years in the wild and up to 35 years in captivity.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Williamson_(singer)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emu
https://www.billabongsanctuary.com.au/emu/
http://www.softschools.com/facts/animals/emu_facts/239/
https://animalcorner.co.uk/animals/emu/
http://theanimalfacts.com/birds/emu/
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