The declining Coastal Emu

Adult Coastal Emu Diggers Camp Road, Yuraygir National Park

Emus once occurred along much of the New South Wales Coastline and adjacent areas with Emu Plains west of Sydney being an example of where they were found in early days of European settlement.  The only Emus that have occurred at Emu Plains in living memory were a couple that escaped from the Butterfly Farm at Wilberforce some years back.  There are occasional reports of the species on the far south coast, which may involve birds re-introduced to the area, but in recent decades most coastal records have been made on the North Coast.  During the late 20th century they occurred at Port Stephens and in an almost continual band from Broadwater National Park near Evans Head through Bundjalung National Park to the southern tip of Yuraygir National Park at Red Rock with a few birds being found south of the Corindi River.  They also occurred south-west of Grafton in the Halfway Creek-Lanitza area and between Grafton and Casino, at Main Camp and Bungawalbyn.  I also observed two at Braunstone in the late1970s-early 1980s.  There have been other scattered records, such as at Valla, but some of these may refer to escaped or released birds from former Emu farms.  A couple of birds at Main Camp, Bungawalbyn, have had yellow, instead of blue, coloration to the head.  It was suggested by the Emu guru Stephen Davies that the birds may have had a constriction in the neck limiting blood flow but other explanations, such as diet and genetic mutation are more likely as the birds showed no signs of illness or distress.

Adult Coastal Emus Bungawalbyn

The species has disappeared from Port Stephens and has declined greatly in the parks between Red Rock and Broadwater, being locally extinct in Broadwater National Park and now extremely rare and close to extinction in Bundjalung National Park.  The population centred around Yuraygir National Park and at Bungawalbyn are the only viable populations remaining.  For this reason the local population has been listed as an endangered population under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act.  There are a number of threats to the species including motor vehicles, habitat destruction, too frequent or too hot fires, back-burning during bushfires and predators.  It is thought that feral pigs, foxes and wild dogs prey on eggs and young.  Although I am sure that feral predators are having an impact there is little specific data to indicate which of them are causing the problems or whether they all are.  I am a little sceptical about the idea that Dingoes are the problem as they have co-existed with the Emu for many thousands of years and Dingoes tend to feed on a variety of prey and generally don't find a single food source and feed on it until it is depleted as foxes seem to do.  The last birds occurring at Red Rock, south of the Corindi River, were reportedly killed by roaming domestic dogs.

Coastal Emu with yellow, instead of blue, on head, Main Camp, Bungawalbyn

In an attempt to gather more data on diet and threats to the Coastal Emu Russell Jago and I have been carrying out fortnightly surveys funded by Clarence Landcare with a grant from the Norman Wettenhall Foundation.  Fortnightly surveys are far from ideal but we are gathering some data on the biology and ecology of the species of four sub-populations in the Clarence Valley.

The distinctive footprint of an Emu photographed on the first survey in July

However at a time when the population has declined severely due to the impacts mentioned above we now have a human induced impact that is likely to disrupt the species further.  The preferred route of the Pacific Highway upgrade east of Grafton will cut a swathe through the remaining Coastal Emu habitat, as well as impacting on over 80 other threatened flora and fauna species.  There is an alternative route that skirts to the west of the Emu habitat and has very minor impacts on other threatened species but the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) of New South Wales refuses to consider it as it is (supposedly) more costly and has a greater social impact.  I have petitioned the state Minister for the Environment, Rob Stokes, with an e-petition which has, to date, gathered over 8,500 signatures.  Many more will be needed to make the politicians and bureaucrats listen so if you haven't already signed it please do so now.  The link is: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/768/595/306/save-the-coastal-emu/#

Adult female Coastal Emu Taloumbi