Australian Barn Owl
Face
Ellura
Emu
7 Juveniles running away
 
                      
Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)Class: Animals (Animalia) - Chordates (Chordata) - Birds (Aves)
Order: Flightless Birds (Struthioniformes)
Family: Emu (Casuariidae)     iNaturalist Observation
Species: Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae)
This Photo:     🔍Juveniles, profile🔎

Thank you Antoni Camozzato & Teaa981 for confirming the id of this species for us

EXTRA - Photo Specific Information:
Got the surprise of our lives today when an Emu with 7 youngsters in tow walked by while we were eating lunch. It's been 18months since we've seen an emu on Ellura; and it's the first time we've seen young

General Species Information:
Found on Ellura (in the Murray Mallee, SA), the Adelaide Hills, the Flinders Ranges and elsewhere
Big ugly bird, in fact the biggest Australian native bird, but perhaps not the ugliest

Runs very fast (up to 50km/hr), is very tall (nearly 2m) and timid.
They have a scruffy white collar in breeding season.
Their lower beak is serrated, designed for grazing.
The male looks after the eggs & young. While incubating them he doesn't eat, drink or defecate!
It's not generally possible to determine gender visually.

Copyright © 2014-2024 Brett & Marie Smith. All Rights Reserved. Photographed 01-Nov-2014
This species is classed as LC (Least Concern) in the Murray Mallee, SA, by DENR (Regional Species Status Assessments, July 2010)