Emu [1] (lat. Dromaius novaehollandiae) is a bird of the Cassowary family, (lat. Casuariiformes) of the genus of ratites. In nature, the emu lives in open areas, overgrown with stunted trees - bush. Previously, emus were classified as ostriches (the classification was revised in the 1980s). The emu is distributed across most of the Australian mainland, although it avoids densely populated areas, dense forests and arid zones.