Major Emu Turf War

[Tame Emu Guy]

Gee! It’s been quiet here for a few days . . . so I’ll post; and, just for fun, everyone can wade in:

‘Kay, for those not in the know, Greedy the Emu, here at my place, has (a) been fairly recently dethroned by a another, smaller, spinster female emu, and (b) turned up with a new male in tow. (He makes good clear male noises!)

And . . . bear in mind that Eric and Mrs. Eric the Emu will turn up soon-ish: they love the plums that will be ripening in about two months.

So . . . shall we take bets, readers? Felicity the Present Alpha bird was here at ten a.m. Greedy and Speckles are here now, twelve thirty p.m. A confrontation is imminent. Will Felicity be able to whoop a pair of birds?

I can’t believe Felicity has lasted so long, and there’s no doubt about it, boys and girls, they’ze gonna be a stoush the moment all three birds are simultaneously present.

I'm going to observe!!

Supreme Emu

 

[kathyinmo]

I'm bettin' on Felicity!

 

[chickenzoo]

Well.......how'd it go?....

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

Morning, E.H.,

Whether it has been an accident or a calculation, Felicity has not yet bumped into G. and S., even though since I started the thread they have been coming and going on a daily basis, on occasion, just hours apart. [See ‘calculation’ in ‘Could Your Emu Run for Congress?’]

I am feeling a bit better, and it is super-ultra-magnificent Spring weather here at present, so I am trying to be out in the house-clearing in order to have a chance to see the actual interaction, which will last only three of four seconds.

Supreme Emu

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

Surely it can't be a co-incidence that over at least five days the two parties have come and gone without meeting on a single occasion? I swear that G. and S. look anxious yesterday as they ate their wheat, but they had a nice long sit in the sun afterwards.

Has anyone had this happen? that birds . . . ummm . . . agree to share turf?

Speckles has a different personality from Boy Emu. He's much less shy, and surprisingly vocal.

Supreme Emu

P.s.: don't forget, guys, that Eric and Mrs. Eric will be here in two months. When I wrote 'Major,' I had them in mind also. Well, maybe Felicity can usurp Greedy because of illness; but I wish we coulc all have ringside seats when Eric and Felicity square off!!

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

It’s over. Greedy won.

I dreamed there was a noisy female emu near the house, and when I awoke, there was a noisy female emu near the house:

Greedy was strutting about like a prize-fighter warming up, complete with vocalisations and neck tucked in. I got some wheat. Felicity saw me, and approached. Greedy bore down on her, and Felicity didn’t even stand and fight. She just fled . . .
into the gum trees.

Interestingly, Speckles paid not a speck of attention, but stayed grazing quietly on the other side of the house-clearing during the confrontation – but when he saw me give Felicity some (more) wheat, he drove her off it.

[Felicity just hurtled past the living room window, with You Know Who in pursuit, and a splendid ivory-white corella just hooked hard into the wave of wind running up over a wall of gums.]

Supreme Emu

 

[chickenzoo]

Emu are so entertaining ...aren't they. Their language is a storm of body postures, glares, vocals and just presence.....
However I often find myself feeling like I am in the middle of a three stooges show. .. A constant ...don't touch that....leave that be....give me that....come back with that....don't bite my finger....as I push them away they come right back... Don't step on my foot, don't sit down behind me while I'm backing up....let me put the food in the bucket before you eat it.... And today while trying to fix the pond when three emu decide to lay in the muddy puddle in the middle of what you are trying to do..... Just walk off and come back later...

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

What if we could arrange to swap places!

My experience – neither good nor bad, just my situation – is just the opposite of yours. I can pat my birds as they scoff food, but not otherwise.

I have never patted an emu that just stood there to be patted.

I am most envious of what I see in the videos: emus you can pat and play with, emus you can swim with, emus whose eggs you can remove from beneath them.

Conversely, you guys -- what if we could get together six or eight of the owners/breeders here!? -- could make coffee and ensconce yourself in the garden here at dawn during fig season, and watch open-mouthed as a veritable kaleidoscope of wild birds come and go and call and schmooze and squabble and eat and come back dripping wet from swims in the dam. On a good day, you might see a dozen or more wild birds at a time, and realise: 'My goodness!! They own the place!'

Supreme Emu

 

[kathyinmo]

I would soooo love to swap places for a while! It would be great fun!
Fred is so docile and tame. When I come outside, he runs up to greet me. When I sit down, he sits down with me. He grooms my hair and eats from my hand. He eats with the chickens, and (dare I say) acts like he is one of their family. Tyson, our dog, is his best buddy.

 

[Tame Emu Guy]

Mysteriouser and mysteriouser:

two threads together: turf war and Felicity’s being injured. The one concern I had was that Greedy and Speckles would turn up, and attack Felicity.

It happened just a few minutes ago, in deep deep dusk. I went out to check on Felicity, and saw G. and S. instead.

Now, the best ‘pacifier’ here is . . . wheat. It can defuse a squabble. I ran and got several coffee cans of wheat, and gave some to each bird. Greedy then drove Felicity off hers – I was standing hard by, uncertain whether to literally shove in between them. Felicity then ran over to Speckles, and drove him off his wheat, and some distance besides.

I got more wheat, and started putting piles here and there. While I was some yards away, giving wheat to Speckles, Felicity and Greedy squared off. Felicity jumped impressively into the air, and took a couple of swipes at Greedy – though they didn’t land – and Greedy bolted. Felicity then drove the pair of them away.

I have no idea, guys. None at all: puncture wound in her chest notwithstanding, Felicity is back in charge of the house-clearing; but I’m going to put out a wheelbarrow-ful of wheat tomorrow, if necessary, to try to keep the peace.

There's gotta be something there that I don't understand. Greedy seems to have recovered from her weakness -- she beat Felicity just a few days ago. She's a bigger and more powerful bird. All thoughts welcome.

[So, does this mean Kathyinmo won the bet? She bet on Felicity.]

Supreme Emu