Let’s talk about emu behaviors and sounds!
Emu babies are adorable and sound very different than they do when they are grown up.
As an emu grows up, between 18-24 months they tend to start their grown-up sounds. Female emu make a deep drumming sound. A male sounds more like a grunt (think of a pig sound). A younger female may also grunt before they start to drum. Both male and female emus use a hissing sound as a form of warning that they don’t like something!
Emu sounds: Drumming and Grunting
Drumming – emus drum for many reasons. Females use it to declare their space/territory and to call their mate. Females may become more regal looking and hold her head back/down and puff her chest and strut to show off.
Emu can be very intimidating to humans and other animals. In this picture Al was having a little fun with Kenny our female emu and trying to be as tall as she is!
Male emus are typically more docile than the females. During mating season it’s the female who chooses which male she will select to be with and they will pair off for breeding season. They do not mate for life – just for the season. Once the female lays eggs, it’s the male who will sit on the eggs and hatch them, and raise the young for 5-18 months.
