Emu
Dromaius novaehollandiae
Photo: JJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ) · Wikimedia · CC-BY-SA 4.0 (licence)
Call and song
Recording 1 · drumming
Recording 2
Recording 3
About the Emu
Endemic to Australia, this enormous flightless bird has drooping gray shaggy plumage. Only confusion possible with introduced Common Ostrich, but note Emu’s dark head and a shaggy-feathered neck. Hatchlings have distinctive stripes throughout. Juvenile and immature birds are darker than adults with more feathered necks. Prefers open country, where it roams around in loose flocks ranging from a few birds up to hundreds.
Species account: eBird.org, fetched 2025-12-26 · How these pages are made
Where it has been recorded
Recorded in 14 of the 253 countries we have eBird lists for. Each opens that country's checklist.