Photo Credits: fairy-wren. The Emu is the largest bird native to Australia. It is the second-largest extant bird in the world by height after the ostrich.  The flightless birds can reach up to 6.6 ft in height. They can weigh between 40 and 120 pounds.  They can sprint at 50 km/h (31 mph) for some distance at a time. Their long legs allow them to take strides of up to 275 centimetres (9.02 ft).  They are opportunistically nomadic and may travel long distances to find food; they feed on a variety of plants and insects, but have been known to go for weeks without food. They reach full size after around six months, but can remain with their family until the next breeding season half a year later. Emus can live between 10 and 20 years in the wild.  An emus predators are dingos, eagles and hawks. They can jump and kick to avoid dingos, but against eagles and hawks, they can only run and swerve.

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