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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 .
This is by far the largest bill-to-body-size ratio of any bird. [64] ... The emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) of Australia reaches 1 to 1.3 m (3.3–4.3 ft) at the ...
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.
Of the living species, the Australian emu is next in height, reaching up to 1.9 metres (6 ft 3 in) tall and about 50 kilograms (110 lb). [18] 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.
Most adult birds will weigh between 17 and 70 kg (37 and 154 lb). [8] It is technically the largest Asian bird (since the extinction of the Arabian ostrich) and the largest Australian bird (though the emu may be slightly taller).
The Australian endemic families are: Emu (Dromaiidae), a well-known monotypic family; the emu is found in rural areas throughout the continent; Plains-wanderer (Pedionomidae), a monotypic family; plains-wanderer is restricted to arid inland areas in the southeast of Australia; Lyrebirds (Menuridae), two forest-dwelling species of southeast ...
Rothschild's emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae rothschildi) is a subspecies of the emu that is native to parts of southern Australia, primarily within the states of Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales, although it may have occasionally wandered into other nearby states.
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.