Question about Emu Behavior

[briefvisit]

Hey, Panamom. This is a hard one for me -- but it's a conversation we've had many times here.

My shtick is this:

emus have, in the wild, a range of identifiable behaviours. You can come and stay a month; sit in the garden; and watch it all go down.

[16 wild emus here at dawn yesterday.]

These strategies, however, pivot on one factor: space.

Having territory, and defending that territory, involves emus running wildly about in all directions -- we're talking thousands and thousands and thousands of acres.

So, what happens when one or a couple of emus find themselves in a small space, and oft times with other critters? It seems that their 'programmes' can go wonky. Maybe they think you are an emu. Maybe they are frustrated because they can't find any other emus.

[In the wild, females shout at one another over distances of a half a mile.]

Give them treats. Observe them. Report back to us here.

SE

 

[Panamom]

Esmeralda (the emu) continues to hum,thrum and get along with the other birds. Still doesn’t eat all the treats I offer the others excepting sunflower seeds.

 

[briefvisit]

Nice report.

At least 15-17 wild emus in the house-clearing here yesterday, at one time or another.

See if you can differentiate Esmerelda's actual vocal-sac noises from her non-vocal-sac noises. If you can pat her, you'll actually feel the 'balloon' of her vocal sac in her chest as you pat her.

SE