Wild Emus at The Lilly Pilly Tree

[briefvisit]

All six chicks and Limpy Chick well. The chicks are getting bigger by the day.

But our news is: does Undersized Emu have a consort and/or posse?

Photos to follow

 

[briefvisit]

This Dad and his clutch of one passed through the house-clearing today. That’s four Dad-with-clutch that we’ve seen, including Limpy Chick and Co., that we’ve seen this season.

https://imgur.com/7H3e6XL

 

[briefvisit]

Some catch-up: Undersized Emu didn’t ‘click’ with her potential consort – I forgot to post. Sorry.



But today we have an amazing ‘sandy’ male here. We’ve never seen such a sandy bird.

https://imgur.com/vW1e11c

 

[briefvisit]

https://imgur.com/PIm8NKy

I am sorry for the fuzzy post. Will check my camera.

But here is this amazing male -- who quietly drove U.E. off her wheat this morning -- just minutes after he turned up

 

[briefvisit]

Here is the posse that visited Undersized Emu a few days ago.

https://imgur.com/31dWtgs

And look at the two birds on the left. See the minor distinctions in their feathers on upper neck? That's a way of telling emus apart.

 

[briefvisit]

So, we’ve had Limpy Chick and Co. each dawn and dusk.

We’ve had U.E. able to bully some random wild female, which is gratifying for her.

Then we had ‘the posse,’ but they’ve drifted away.

Then Dad and his lone chick cruised through yesterday.

Then the brash sandy male turned up shortly thereafter.



All good observations.

 

[AntiqueB]

I'm kinda rooting for UE to get together with Brash Boy.

 

[briefvisit]

It is again that time of year – late summer/early autumn – for mating-pairs to form.



Brash Boy was here last evening. His call is recognizable.



Here is a photo from his first day here (I overlooked it):

https://imgur.com/oIEw03f

We've never seen a 'puff-up' as white as this.

 

[AntiqueB]

He is beautiful. Do you think it's a mutation, or could he be a different subspecies? Are there different subspecies?

 

[briefvisit]

Deep breath. First, historical species:



Were six. Now three – three extinct. We have in the past discussed whether Emu Americanus is a sorta fourth. That is, no one in the USA knows what sub-species their emus are.



The emoo is dromaius novaehollandiae.



The sub-species are dromaius novaehollandiae novaehollandiae, dromaius novaehollandiae woodwardi, and dromaius novaehollandiae rothschildi.



Your hint is: this project is Planet Rothschildi. Brash Boy is a rothschildi.