Quick Take
- Emus are the second-largest birds; Ostriches are the largest.
- Emus are native to Australia, but have been introduced as domesticated animals around the world.
- Female emus tend to be slightly larger than male emus.
The emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) is Australia’s largest native bird. Emus are shaggy-feathered, flightless birds that stand up to 6.5 feet tall. The only member of the genus Dromaius, these nomadic birds are found across most of mainland Australia in woodlands and on plains. Emus are farmed for their low-fat meat, nutritious eggs, therapeutic oil, and distinctive leather. Emus are omnivores with a diverse diet that includes plants and animals. Although they are opportunistic eaters, their diet consists primarily of plant matter. Continue reading to discover everything you need to know about what emus eat.
Emus are farmed primarily in Australia, with smaller operations in other countries.
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What Foods Do Emus Eat?
Emus are diurnal and forage during the day, consuming vegetation such as seeds, fruits, flowers, young shoots, and bark. Their diet varies with the seasons. In the spring and summer, emus eat shoots, flowers, and young grass, while in the fall and winter, they forage for seeds, herbs, bark, and the leaves and pods of the Cassia plant. In the wild, emus are opportunistic omnivores whose diet consists of plants, seeds, fruits, insects, and, on rare occasions, feces. They forage for nutrient-rich plant parts such as flowers and shoots, which significantly aids in seed dispersal.
The most common foods emus eat include:
- Acacia
- Casuarina
- Grass seeds
- Various tree seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Corn
- Beetles
- Ants
- Flies
- Grasshoppers
- Spiders
- Centipedes
- Numerous fruits
- Small rodents
- Lizards
Emus have a strong preference for seeds, grasses, and other foods that are abundant and easy to find. They require a diet in which 15% and 20% of their caloric intake comes from protein. That is why they will sometimes opt for insects and other high-protein prey.
Emus consume more animal protein during the spring and summer. This increase in protein-rich insect consumption aligns with the times of year when these prey items are most abundant and when the birds are actively foraging to support rapid growth and breeding energy needs.
Domesticated emus are fed alfalfa pellets, grains, and greens.
How Do Emus Forage?
Emus have a high-protein requirement that is between 15% and 20% of their caloric intake.
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Emus live in rugged environments and sometimes travel up to 15 miles each day to search for food and water. They are frequently on the lookout for their preferred foods, but sometimes resort to picking undigested seeds from their own droppings or those of other animals to obtain energy.
Emus spend much of their time foraging, picking at the ground with their beaks and claws to find choice bits of food and to uncover insects from beneath rocks.
Emus do not have teeth with which to grind their food. Therefore, they will swallow small rocks that remain in their gizzard, a muscular part of a bird’s stomach. As they eat, these pebbles help grind up food in the gizzard, aiding proper digestion.
How Much Do Emus Need to Eat?
Emus spend a lot of their lives foraging, and regularly lose significant amounts of their body weight while searching for food. When they discover a food supply in the wild, they eat to pack on extra fat before beginning their search for food again. Wild emus typically weigh between 66 and 121 pounds, with females usually being slightly larger and heavier than males.
When they live in captivity, emus do not need to eat as much. When consuming a diet of pellets, they will frequently only eat about 1.5 to 5 pounds of food each day, depending on their diet and management.
In the winter, emus eat more plants as insects aren’t as common.
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Do Emus Have Predators?
Emus are very large birds; only the ostrich stands taller. They use their size, speed, and claws (which can be 4 inches long) to fend off predators. These birds can defend themselves effectively and may inflict serious injuries on some animals.
Nevertheless, emus, especially the young and very old, are targets for a few predators. The following animals present the most danger to emus:
- Dingoes
- Wedge-tailed eagles
- Foxes
- Snakes
- Monitor lizards
- Domestic and wild dogs
- Pigs
- Human beings
Of these predators, dingoes, wedge-tailed eagles, and humans are the most dangerous and capable of killing an adult emu.
As with many animals in Australia, humans are an ever-present threat to emus. In addition to hunting and farming, emus frequently fall victim to vehicles.
