Where Do Emus Live? Discovering the Habitat of Australia's Iconic Bird
Last updated: 17 December 2023
Key takeaways
- Emus, part of the Ratites group, are native to Australia and are found in every state except Tasmania. They are adaptable to various habitats across the country, with an estimated population of 625,000 to 725,000.
- These large, nomadic birds prefer open spaces like eucalyptus forests, woodlands, heathlands, and savannah plains, avoiding highly arid deserts and dense rainforests for better food and water access and predator spotting.
- Emus are common in northern, southeastern, and southwestern Australia, often seen in rural areas, national parks, and wildlife reserves. They are less common in the arid interior and the east coast, and are absent from Tasmania.
- Emus are capable of enduring both cold and hot temperatures. In winter, they puff up their feathers and increase their metabolism to stay warm, and in summer, their feathers efficiently reflect solar radiation to cope with extreme heat.
There's more to discover. Continue scrolling for the full article below.
Emus are one of the largest birds and are part of the Casuariidae family, which includes cassowaries. The world’s large flightless birds are grouped together as the Ratites, including Emus, cassowaries, ostriches, and the extinct rhea. In this article, we will be exploring where emus live and what sort of habitats they can be found in.
Living solely in Australia, there are one species of Emu divided into three subspecies inhabiting northern, southeastern, and southwestern Australia. Emus are found in all Australian states except Tasmania.
Emus are tough and have thrived in Australia for thousands of years. They even survived the Australian government’s attempts to cull them in their masses, dubbed the “Emu War”.
Emus are widespread in many Australian states, including Victoria, where they’re common in most rural areas. So if you want to see Emus in Australia, you won’t have much issue finding them as there are around 625,000 to 725,000 distributed across much of the country.
Read on to learn more about the distribution of these extra-large birds!
Distribution Map of Emus
Please note, this range and distribution map is a high-level overview, and doesn't break down into specific regions and areas of the countries.