Ellie is an emu who loves running, helping others and playing in playgrounds and one time, this flightless bird managed to help all her friends travel around Australia in a day!
ELLIE’S SONGS
Ellie Emu – She’s a very busy bird!
In this very quick and quirky old folk song about friendship, empathy and helping others the children will learn about the special features that set Ellie Emu apart from most other birds. They will discover that Ellie is a very magical bird that puts her friends first and helps anyone in trouble. She has even gone out and got her First Aid Certificate and joined the Fire Brigade! With such a busy schedule she still recognises the importance of playtime and loves going to playgrounds with her friends and having as much fun as possible.
Pippy and Ellie’s Adventure
Ellie Emu and Pippy Possum go on an adventure around this great country of ours, visiting many iconic locations and learning lessons along the way.
Emu Facts
The Emu lives only in Australia.
Emus are birds but they can’t fly.
Emus have long strong legs for running.
They are covered with fluffy feathers.
Emus eat grass, fruits, flowers, seeds and insects.
The emu (say ee-mew) is Australia’s largest bird. It is the second largest bird in the world by height – the ostrich is bigger. Emus are found only in Australia, and have been in existence since the time of the dinosaurs. There were once three species (kinds) of emu, but two are extinct.
The emu is part of a group of birds called ratites. Ratites are birds that do not fly. The other ratites are the ostrich in Africa, the Australian cassowary, the rhea in South America and the small kiwi in New Zealand.
Emus are about 2 metres tall. They have small wings that help the bird cool itself in hot weather – they hold the wings out so that the air can circulate around their body. The wings help them steer when they are running fast.
Emu females are generally larger than the males. The females weigh about 40 kilograms, the males about 36 kg.
An emu feather is a double feather. Emu feathers are long and brown, and grow in pairs with two shafts joined at the base. Emus are the only birds that have double feathers. The barbs coming out of the shafts are separate, not joined together as they are in the feathers of birds that fly. This means that the bird looks more like it is covered in hair than in feathers. These soft feathers are not waterproof like other feathers, and an emu in the rain looks a bit bedraggled.
Emu necks are often without feathers, and the skin is bluish.
The knees can’t be seen; the joint that is bending forward is the ankle.
This is an Emu…
And this is Ellie the Emu from the Magical Mountains!