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Emu Chicks
Dromaius novaehollandiae
-38.4728, 145.235
Field Notes
Description:
Newly hatched chicks are active and can leave the nest within a few days. They stand about 12 centimetres (5 in) tall, weigh .5 kg (18 oz), and have distinctive brown and cream stripes for camouflage, which fade after three months or so.
During their early life, the young emus are defended by their father, who adopts a belligerent and standoffish stance towards other emus, even including the mother. Chicks grow very quickly and are full-grown in 5–6 months.
Habitat:
Not caged in the Phillip Island Wildlife Park
Notes:
The male becomes broody after his mate starts laying, and begins to incubate the eggs before the laying period is complete. From this time on, he does not eat, drink, or defecate, and stands only to turn the eggs, which he does about 10 times a day. Over eight weeks of incubation, he will lose a third of his weight and will survive only on stored body-fat and on any morning dew that he can reach from the nest. Infidelity is the norm for emus, despite the initial pair-bond: once the male starts brooding, the female mates with other males and may lay in multiple clutches.
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