For the last five days, I’ve been travelling in the Outback regions of central New South Wales. It’s been very exciting to see all the birds out there. Stay tuned for some blog posts!

First up is the Emu. This one was in captivity at Mungo Lodge in Mungo National Park, which meant that I could see it from up close. It was pretty interested in me too:

Emus are the second-largest bird in the world, and the largest Australian bird. They’re nearly 6 feet tall (ranging from 1.6 to 1.9 metres). Females weigh up to 37 kilograms, while the male is smaller (up to 32 kg).

These birds can run at a speed of 50 km per hour (30 miles per hour). We had proof of that when a bird charged out of the bush, ran behind one of the cars in our convoy, hugging the bumper so that the driver had no idea it was there, then spun around the car and dashed in front of it. Luckily, bird and driver avoided a collision.

We saw several groups of Emus throughout out trip. These were on the Barrier Highway, spotted while we were driving from Cobar to Wilcannia:

The above photo shows one of the bird’s tiny wings. It’s a stub really, pointing down next to the leg that’s in front in the picture.

This shot caught the bird in mid-blink:

If you’re out walking, you might spot their tracks in the dirt:

Let’s close with another close-up of an Emu at Mungo Lodge, showing its rather endearing coiffe:

Common name: Emu
Scientific name: Dromaius novaehollandiae
Approximate height: 1.5 – 2 metres
Date spotted: 18 and 20 May 2024 (autumn)
Locations: Barrier Highway (approximate location on map) and Mungo National Park (map), New South Wales, Australia