A note on the sightability of emus during an aerial survey

Observed densities of emus, Dromaius novaehollandiae, estimated from aerial surveys were compared with results of a drive count in 1985 and 1986. The study area was mostly open shrubland. True density of emus was 2.56 per km2 in 1985 and 1.15 per km2 in 1986. Aerial survey estimates were 66 and47% oftrue density in the two years, respectively, and the weighted average was 60%. Over the limited range tested ofeach variable, observed density was not significantly affected by temperature, cloud cover or time of day