Dromaiidae

Australia's largest native bird. Emu (Dromaius novaehollandia) is found through much of the continent except parts of the extreme north, east, and southeastern coastal regions. A monotypic relative of cassowaries of ostriches, it is a familiar and unmistakable birds of the outback.

Additional information 

The long body feathers provide an excellent protection against elemental extremes, from hot sun to snow and sleet. The bare parts of the neck and head are whitish to pale blue. Chicks have a spotted crown and black to brown body stripes; these markings are lost when the birds grow older. Birds in the southeastern Australia show a pale white neck ruff during breeding season, while birds in the north are paler overall.

Although solitary birds are often seen, Emu is gregarious, found in loose groups of four to nine birds and occasionally in larger flocks when on the move. Wary, but also inquisitive, the bird is known to appraoch and follow humans, simply to investigate what they are doing.

Taxonomy

There is only one extant species in the family: the Emu (Dromaius novaehollandia). 

A race occuring on Tasmania was hunted to extinction by European settlers in the mid-19th century, along with two isolated endemic Emu species found on King Island and Kangaroo Island.