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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. The emu's native ranges cover most of the ...
ɪ f ɔːr m iː z / is an order of large flightless birds that has four surviving members: the three species of cassowary, and the only remaining species of emu. They are divided into either a single family, Casuariidae, or more typically two, with the emu splitting off into its own family, Dromaiidae.
English: Emu's recorded observations map (Dromaius Novaehollandiae). Areas where emu has been recorded. Français : Carte d'observations de l' Émeu d'Australie ( Dromaius Novaehollandiae ).
It is one of two known genera of emu. [3] There are two known species in the genus, Emuarius gidju and Emuarius guljaruba. The birds in this genus are known as emuwaries. This name comes from a combination of emu and cassowary. This is due to its cassowary-like skull and femur and emu-like lower leg and foot. [4]
The African ostrich is the largest living ratite. A large member of this species can be nearly 2.8 metres (9 ft 2 in) tall, weigh as much as 156 kilograms (344 lb), [18] and can outrun a horse.
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.
Most authorities consider the taxonomic classification above to be monotypic, but several subspecies of each have been described, [21] and some of them have even been suggested as separate species, e.g., C. (b) papuanus. [18] The taxonomic name C. (b) papuanus also may be in need of revision to Casuarius (bennetti) westermanni. [22]
The binomial name Casuarius casuarius is derived from its Malay name kesuari. [4] The southern cassowary was first described by Carl Linnaeus, in his 18th-century work Systema Naturae, as Struthio casuarius, [5] from a specimen from Seram, in 1758. [6] It is now the type species of the genus Casuarius. [6]