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The emu (/ ˈ iː m juː /; Dromaius novaehollandiae) is a species of flightless bird endemic to Australia, where it is the tallest native bird. It is the only extant member of the genus Dromaius and the third-tallest living bird after its African ratite relatives, the common ostrich and Somali ostrich .
Some Australian fossils initially believed to be from emus were recognized to represent a distinct genus, Emuarius, [a] which had a cassowary-like skull and femur and an emu-like lower leg and foot. In addition, the first fossils of mihirungs were initially believed to be from giant emus, [b] but these birds were completely unrelated.
The following species and subspecies are recognized: Dromaius novaehollandiae, emu, remains common in most of the more lightly settled parts of mainland Australia.Overall population varies from decade to decade according to rainfall; as low as 200,000 and as high as 1,000,000, but a typical figure is about half a million individuals.
Like the ostrich, it is a fast-running, powerful bird of the open plains and woodlands. Also native to Australia and the islands to the north are the three species of cassowary. Shorter than an emu, but heavier and solidly built, cassowaries prefer thickly vegetated tropical forest.
Flightless birds are birds that cannot fly. They have, through evolution, lost the ability to fly. [1] There are over 60 extant species, [2] including the well-known ratites (ostriches, emus, cassowaries, rheas, and kiwis) and penguins. The smallest flightless bird is the Inaccessible Island rail (length 12.5 cm, weight 34.7
Two large emus on the loose in South Carolina ruffled the feathers of locals a week after dozens of monkeys escaped from a research facility in the Palmetto State.
Several species of birds are also cursorial, mainly those that have attained larger body sizes (ostrich, greater rhea, emu). Most of the stride length in birds comes from movements below the knee joint, because the femur is situated horizontally and the knee joint sits more towards the front of the body, placing the feet below the center of ...
Skeletal mount (note damaged skull) Presently, most authorities consider the southern cassowary monotypic, but several subspecies have been described. [3] It has proven very difficult to confirm the validity of these due to individual variations, age-related variations, the relatively few available specimens (and the bright skin of the head and neck – the basis upon which several subspecies ...