Emus

By Dunya, Year 6

Written as part of Factory Feedback

Good afternoon 5/6 today I will be informing you about the emu.

What does an emu look like?

The emu has a shaggy grey-brown to black plumage. The bare skin around their face and neck is a striking blue-black colour. Emu chicks are grey with black or brown stripes, so that only the other emus can see it. 

What do emus eat? 

Emus eat a wide variety of leaves, grasses, fruits, native plants, and insects. In spring and summer, their diet consists mainly of flowers and seeds. In autumn, as those foods become scarce, they graze on young grass which sprouts after summer rains. In winter, herbs form the emu’s main diet.

Where do emus live? 

Emus live in a variety of habitats from open arid plains to tropical woodlands. They avoid thickly forested areas. Emus occur in all Australian states except Tasmania. They are found across most of Victoria, although they avoid densely populated areas and are generally absent from the central district.

How do emus adapt to their habitats?

Emus like all animals, have evolved to suit their environment, the grasslands and forests of Australia. Over time, they have developed several adaptations which help them survive, including their large size, speed, long necks and legs, sharp beaks, colour, and a specialized two-eyed vision.

How does the emu’s specialities help it survive?

The emus speed can help it run away from it predators like if the emu is getting chased, the emus long neck can help it reach high leaves, the long legs of an emu can help it run faster and jump up to 2.1 metres straight up, its sharp beak can help it by making it easy to get its food off a branch, its colour can help it camouflage from predators and it two-eyed vision can help it see very far. Which makes it easy for it to escape! 

Thankyou for listening.

Factory Feedback was created with, and generously supported by, the Dusseldorp Forum.

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