Wild Birds of Australia

Despite their diminutive stature, little penguins are a formidable species. They spend months at sea hunting, they mate for life, and when gulls threaten to steal their hard-earned fish, they band together in groups for self-defense.

Emus are unique: Native only to Australia, they're the second largest bird in the world and can trace their lineage back to the dinosaurs. When males incubate their eggs, they don't eat, drink, or even go to the bathroom until the job is done.

Much of Australia consists of vast tracts of uninhabited land, a perfect hunting ground for the country's imperious birds of prey.

There are more than 370 species of birds unique to Australia, including flightless wonders like the prehistoric-looking cassowary and the dramatic male Victoria's rifle bird, whose elaborate and flamboyant mating ritual just can't be ignored.