Wild Emus at The Lilly Pilly Tree

[Evadig]

Note the male -- that's Limpy Chick! -- grabbing at the feathers on the back of the female's neck at the conclusion of the coitus. We've seen this with each observed copulation.

What purpose might it have?

I’m assuming to get her to accept his sperm?

But roosters grab the hens so they can hang on while they mate.


The kangaroo was neat!

Do females choose a new partner every year?

 

[briefvisit]

'Do females choose a new partner every year?'

Yes. Disposable husbands. Hence the term 'consort.'

 

[briefvisit]

'But roosters grab the hens so they can hang on while they mate.'

Do they!? But this is different. With emus, the feather-pulling comes at the end.

And 'getting her to accept his sperm' -- ??

My first thought is that it's a 'marker.' If a female has had a number of copulations, and thereby has . . . ahem . . . a bit of a bald patch, perhaps it tells the males something.

 

[AntiqueB]

Perhaps like kittens stimulating their mother to produce milk? I think that might be what Evadig means.

 

[briefvisit]

'Perhaps like kittens stimulating their mother to produce milk? I think that might be what Evadig means.'

Wow, it's on the Net!

'The male will walk on his knees to get into position and mount her. As he ejaculates,
he will peck her on the neck. In some females you will see a patch of dark, new feathers by the end
of breeding season.'

Deep breath. Let us do what we always do:

One: observe.
Two: look for other sources of info.
Three: discuss.

We've seen this behaviour in each of the half dozen matings observed over the years. And there is info on the Net.

So . . .

 

[briefvisit]

Here is Undersized Emu, who has been forgotten. Lovely plumage. Unaccountably tame. (He sneaks up and grabs your toes)

https://imgur.com/VSxifo9

 

[briefvisit]

One: saw Dad and The Cheeky Chicks yesterday at dusk, about 200 yards from the place I last saw them. There’s a dam nearby. We shall begin taking sultanas on our walks.

 

[briefvisit]

Two: two nights ago, we heard female vocalisations about one-two hours before first light. We’ve been puzzled that the female of the breeding-pair in command here hasn’t been vocalizing, and it was a tiny tiny quiet vocalization. Let’s see how this goes.

 

[briefvisit]

Three: I interrupted a mating this morning.

Four: autumn in general:



Jacket, scarf, and hat required at dawn now, which is substantially later. For those relatively new to Planet Rothschildi, we are now in ‘the Big Jump,’ although it looks as though it will not be ugly this year.



So, there’s no grass beyond dried stalks – but there are at least a fair amount of those (as there was not last year). The kangaroos have eaten all the leaves (up to ‘kangaroo height’) on every bush and vine. Yesterday, I saw Limpy Chick patiently eat what was either a dried emu poop or a dried horse poop – recycling.



We are half-way through the first month of the three of autumn. The Big Jump ends with the ‘fresh pick’ that substantial autumn rains bring up – so, it’s tricky, readers. We may get good showers, and lots of namby pamby drizzle; but it’s only two or three days of real ‘ground-soaking’ rain that will germinate the grass. Then, for the seventeenth time, we get to enjoy the splendid ‘greening’ of the house-clearing.



[Old Guy holes up in a small carpeted bedroom on the side of the house, with a window facing up the drive. On one occasion during my first year – 2008 – it rained for six days. Glorious!]

 

[AntiqueB]

Dad and the Cheeky Chicks are STILL together?

Life sounds hard there, for wildlife.