All About Exotics

Emu

(Dromaeus novaehollandaise) Australia.  Large flightless bird.

ID. Emus are the second largest flightless bird (behind the ostrich), weighing up to 120 lbs.

Bluish skin becomes darker and lighter depending on its mood

Eggs are dark green

Behavior. Hunched walkers that have a “stalking” gait.  Males perform elaborate mating dances to attract the eye of on-looking females (see Video below- set to some pretty amazingly horrid music).

Notes: During the ’90s there was a noticeable boom in emu ranching and raising on private ranches in Texas following a belief that emu meat could become a viable, marketable protein source in the states.  It was not uncommon to see small land holdings with emus on them that seemingly weren’t there the week before.  The demand for eggs and meat soon fell sharply,  as did number of ranchers willing to sacrifice space, time, and money farming for emus.

Emus can still be seen occasionally across the state, most living out there lives as pets or, as in a friend’s case on their ranch, become pesky “peckers” that seem irritated by anyone getting out of a truck to open a gate!