Emus can't fly. They have tiny wings that they flap when they run, almost as if they want to remind themselves they used to be flying birds long, long ago. What they do have is incredibly long, strong legs. An emu's stride is over 2 metres long, and they can keep sprinting for ages.
Emus eat all sorts of things: seeds, fruit, flowers, insects and even small lizards. They swallow stones to help grind the food up inside their stomachs - a clever trick that other flightless birds use too. They drink a lot of water when they can find it, but they can also go for days without any.
Father emus do most of the parenting. The mum lays a clutch of dark green eggs the size of a small melon, and then the dad sits on the nest for about eight weeks - barely eating, barely drinking - until they hatch. The chicks have brown and cream stripes, like little furry humbug sweets, so they can hide in the long grass.
Emus are curious. If they see something new in their patch - a hat, a backpack, a hiker - they will often walk right up and have a long look. They are usually peaceful, but they like to know what's going on. Some farmers say emus are the nosiest animals in Australia.

