Meet Sydney The Emu
In 1996, Debra White rescued two emus, Sydney and Aussie, saving them from slaughter. They were three months old. Aussie passed in 2019, but Sydney is still thriving. Sydney is now 25!
Emus are the second largest bird in the world. They can reach a height of about six feet. Sydney is close to that height.
The emu feet have three toes and have powerful, almost prehistoric looking legs. They bend forward. They cannot fly, and have tiny wings, but can run up to 30 miles per hour. It is quite a sight to see Sydney run along with the horses, easily keeping pace! In fact, Sydney will run with any animal running, including the turkey and geese.
Emus can jump up to seven feet straight up in the air with those strong legs.
The male emu is the caretaker of the eggs and the young. They make the nests and lay on the eggs. The eggs are blue-green in color. He guards the chicks for up to six months and defends them against other emus, including the mother. The male emu will bend his knees to protect the young.
Emus make a thrumming or booming sound like a drum.
Emus are omnivores. Sydney has his grain, but will also eat hay. He enjoys fruit and he also forages for insects. Emus will also eat small reptiles and amphibians. They require plenty of water, between two and a half to five gallons a day.
Emus are guard animals and can protect farm animals. They have very good eye sight and hearing. They can ward off snakes, fisher cats, foxes, etc. They can get along with horses, donkeys, goats and small animals. Sydney was raised with farm animals. He was, in particular, close to a horse, Shiloh, and is friendly with Stardust, the donkey. He also sleeps with Milton, the goat, in winter months.
He sleeps with his head tucked down into his feathers. When it’s cold he sleeps in the barn. Emus sleep about seven hours a day. In the winter months, Sydney hunkers down for almost 12 hours.
Sydney enjoys a soak in a puddle and a splash of the hose when it’s hot. Emus are very good swimmers.
Emus are unofficially the bird of Australia and feature in Australian Aboriginal mythology, including one story that the sun was made by throwing an emu egg into the sky. They are also featured in Aboriginal astrology stories.
THANK YOU.