Wildlife Guide · Australia

Emu

Dromaius novaehollandiae

Australia's largest bird — a flightless wanderer where doting fathers raise the chicks.

Least Concern (IUCN)

A tall, shaggy brown-feathered emu standing upright on long grey legs in open Australian grassland, its small head and slender neck raised, with bare blue-grey skin showing on the neck.

Image: Source: Wikimedia Commons — “Dromaius novaehollandiae - Maroparque 01” by H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0

In brief

An emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) is a large flightless bird native to Australia. The country's tallest bird and the second-tallest living bird after the ostrich, it reaches about 1.9 metres, runs nearly 50 km/h, and is unusual in that males incubate the eggs and raise the chicks.

By the WARN Research & Conservation TeamChecked against IUCN Red List & CITES sourcesLast updated June 2026

The emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) is Australia's largest native bird and, after the ostrich, the second-tallest living bird on Earth. Standing up to around 1.9 metres, this soft-feathered, flightless giant roams woodland, grassland and arid scrub across mainland Australia, striding on powerful three-toed legs that can carry it at speeds approaching 50 km/h. Emus are famous for their reversed family roles: the male alone incubates the dark-green eggs and then guards and raises the striped chicks for many months. Highly nomadic, emus follow rainfall and food across vast distances. Listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, the species remains widespread and is also farmed for meat, oil and leather.

1.9 m

Maximum standing height

~48 km/h

Top running speed

56 days

Male-only incubation

Least Concern

IUCN Red List status

Figures sourced from Emu — Wikipedia, IUCN Red List: Dromaius novaehollandiae, Emu — Encyclopaedia Britannica and other references on this page.

Emu: Quick Facts

Vital statistics and key facts about the Emu
Common name	Emu
Scientific name	Dromaius novaehollandiae
Native range	Mainland Australia
Height	Up to about 1.9 m
Weight	About 18–60 kg (typically ~31–37 kg)
Top speed	Around 48 km/h
Diet	Omnivore: seeds, fruit, shoots, insects
Incubation	By the male, about 56 days
Lifespan	Around 10 years wild; up to ~20 in captivity
IUCN status	Least Concern

Scientific Classification

Scientific classification of the Emu
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Aves
Order	Casuariiformes
Family	Casuariidae (or Dromaiidae)
Genus	Dromaius
Species	Dromaius novaehollandiae

Conservation Status

IUCN Status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List). The emu is widespread and common across mainland Australia, with a large and stable population. Three island subspecies — the Tasmanian, Kangaroo Island and King Island emus — became extinct following European settlement, but the mainland species is not currently threatened. The emu is not listed under CITES.
Population: Estimated at roughly 630,000–725,000 mature individuals
Trend: Stable
Assessed: 2018
CITES: Not listed

Local threats include habitat clearance, vehicle collisions, fencing and feral predators, but none currently endanger the species as a whole. Emus are also widely farmed for meat, oil and leather.

Key Facts: Emu

The emu is Australia's largest bird and the world's second-tallest living bird after the ostrich.
It is flightless but a powerful runner, reaching speeds of around 48 km/h on long three-toed legs.
Males take sole charge of reproduction, incubating the eggs for about eight weeks and raising the chicks.
Emus lay large, thick-shelled dark-green eggs, typically a clutch of around 5 to 15.
Highly nomadic, emus travel long distances to follow rainfall and seasonal food.
The IUCN lists the emu as Least Concern, though three island subspecies became extinct after European settlement.

What does an emu look like and how big is it?

The emu is an unmistakable bird: tall, long-necked and covered in shaggy, soft, grey-brown plumage that hangs loosely and gives it a slightly dishevelled appearance. Adults stand up to roughly 1.9 metres tall and weigh anywhere from about 18 to 60 kilograms, with most birds averaging in the low-to-mid thirties. Unusually, each feather has a double shaft, and the loose structure helps insulate the bird against both heat and cold. The head and upper neck are sparsely feathered, exposing bluish skin that is most visible during the breeding season. Emus are flightless — their wings are reduced to small stubs roughly the size of a hand — but they more than compensate on land. Three-toed feet and strong legs let them stride at a relaxed pace over huge distances and sprint at close to 48 km/h when alarmed, with a stride that can exceed two metres at full speed. They are also capable swimmers. Only the ostrich stands taller among living birds, making the emu the second-tallest bird on Earth and the largest native to Australia.

Why do male emus raise the young?

Emus reverse the parental roles seen in most birds. After a female courts a male and they pair for a breeding season, the female lays a clutch of large, thick-shelled, dark-green eggs — commonly around 5 to 15 — in a simple ground nest. From that point the male takes over entirely. He incubates the eggs for about 56 days, during which he barely eats, drinks or leaves the nest, often losing a significant share of his body weight and surviving on stored fat. Females may wander off and sometimes mate again with other males, occasionally laying in more than one nest. Once the chicks hatch, the striped, cream-and-brown youngsters follow their father, who fiercely defends them and leads them to food. He may care for the brood for five to seven months, and young birds can remain with him for up to a year and a half. This male-centred system, combined with communal nests that sometimes hold eggs from several females, makes emu family life one of the most distinctive among large birds.

Where do emus live and what do they eat?

Emus are found across most of mainland Australia, occupying a remarkable range of habitats from sclerophyll forest and savanna woodland to semi-arid grassland and shrubland. They tend to avoid only the densest forests and the most extreme deserts and the heavily cleared, settled regions. Because so much of Australia is dry and unpredictable, emus are strongly nomadic, travelling long distances — sometimes hundreds of kilometres — in response to rainfall and the food it brings. Their diet is broad and opportunistic. Emus are omnivores that feed mainly on the parts of plants richest in nutrients: seeds, fruits, flowers, fresh shoots and young foliage. They also eat insects and other small invertebrates such as grasshoppers, beetles and caterpillars, especially when feeding growing chicks. Like many birds, they swallow stones, glass and other hard objects (gastroliths) to help grind food in the gizzard, and they will travel to drink when water is available. By eating fruits and moving widely, emus act as important seed dispersers, spreading native plants across the landscape — a quiet but valuable ecological role for such a large and far-ranging bird.

Emu vs ostrich: how do the world's two tallest birds differ?

Feature	Emu	Ostrich
Native range	Australia	Africa
Height	Up to ~1.9 m	Up to ~2.7 m
Toes per foot	Three	Two
Who incubates	Male only	Male and female share
Egg colour	Dark green	Cream / off-white
Standing among living birds	Second tallest	Tallest

What WARN Does

WARN does not run field projects specifically for emus, which are widespread across Australia and lie outside the countries where WARN's partners work on the ground. This guide is part of WARN's free educational work, helping people understand the world's wildlife. The broad threats that touch emus — habitat clearance, road collisions and changing rainfall — are the same pressures that fall on the animals WARN does protect in its partner countries.

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Emu: Frequently Asked Questions

Can emus fly?

No, emus cannot fly. They are flightless birds whose wings are reduced to small stubs roughly the size of a human hand. Instead of flight, emus rely on running: their long, powerful legs let them stride efficiently over long distances and sprint at speeds of around 48 km/h to escape danger. They are also surprisingly good swimmers when they need to cross water.

How fast can an emu run?

An emu can run at speeds of up to around 48 km/h (about 30 mph). Its long legs and three-toed feet are built for endurance and speed across open country, and at full sprint an emu's stride can exceed two metres. This running ability is its main defence against predators, since the bird is flightless and relies on its legs rather than its small, vestigial wings.

Do male or female emus sit on the eggs?

Male emus do all the incubating. After the female lays a clutch of large green eggs, the male sits on them for about 56 days, rarely eating, drinking or leaving the nest and losing a large share of his body weight in the process. Once the chicks hatch, the father continues to guard and raise them, often caring for the brood for several months.

What colour are emu eggs and how big are they?

Emu eggs are very large, thick-shelled and a distinctive dark green colour, sometimes appearing almost blackish-green. A single egg is far larger than a chicken's, weighing around half a kilogram or more. A typical clutch contains roughly 5 to 15 eggs, and because several females sometimes lay in one nest, communal nests can hold considerably more. The male incubates them for about eight weeks.

What do emus eat?

Emus are omnivores with a broad, opportunistic diet. They feed mainly on nutrient-rich plant parts such as seeds, fruits, flowers and fresh shoots, and they also eat insects and other small invertebrates like grasshoppers, beetles and caterpillars. Emus swallow small stones (gastroliths) to help grind food in the gizzard. By eating fruit and travelling widely, they help disperse the seeds of many native Australian plants.

Are emus endangered?

No, emus are not endangered. The IUCN Red List classes the species as Least Concern, with a large population and a wide range across mainland Australia. However, three island subspecies — on Tasmania, Kangaroo Island and King Island — became extinct after European settlement. Today the main pressures on emus are habitat clearance, vehicle collisions and the unpredictable rainfall of their arid homeland.

Where do emus live?

Emus live across mainland Australia in woodland, grassland and arid scrub, roaming widely on powerful three-toed legs that can carry them at speeds around 48 km/h. They are highly nomadic, following rainfall and food across vast distances. Standing up to about 1.9 m, the emu is Australia's largest native bird and the second-tallest living bird after the ostrich. The IUCN lists the species as Least Concern.

Are emus dangerous?

Emus are generally wary of people but can be dangerous if cornered or during breeding season. Powerful legs and sharp claws can inflict serious kicks. Standing up to 1.9 m and weighing typically 31–37 kg (sometimes 18–60 kg), they are fast runners at around 48 km/h. Wild emus rarely attack unprovoked. Vehicle collisions and habitat clearance are more common sources of conflict than deliberate aggression toward humans.

How long do emus live?

Emus live around 10 years in the wild and up to about 20 years in captivity. The male alone incubates dark-green eggs for about 56 days, then guards and raises striped chicks for many months — one of the best-known reversed parental roles in birds. After hatching, chicks grow quickly on an omnivorous diet of seeds, fruit, shoots and insects. The species remains widespread and Least Concern across mainland Australia.

Sources & References

Population figures, conservation status and biological facts on this page are drawn from authoritative scientific and intergovernmental sources.

Terms used on this page

Plain-English definitions, from our wildlife and conservation glossary.

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