Fauna of Australia in Australia, feeding on sea grass in coastal areas. The destruction of sea grass beds is a threat to the survival of this species. Eleven species of seal—family Pinnipedia—live off the southern coast. Australia and its territories are home to around 800 species of bird; 45% of these are endemic to Australia. The fossil record of birds in Australia is patchy; however, there are records of the ancestors of contemporary species as early as the Late Oligocene. Birds with a Gondwanan history include the flightless ratites (the emu and southern cassowary), megapodes (the malleefowl and Australian brush-turkey), and a huge
Emu and the Jabiru Emu and the Jabiru Emu and the Jabiru is an Australian Aboriginal myth. The myth tells a story of greed between two brothers-in-law, who through their fighting transformed into the first emu and jabiru. The story begins with Gandji and his children fishing for stingray. In clear water, they spear many stingray, and cook them over a fire to separate their meat from the fat, and wrap these in bark. They return from their expedition and offer some of their catch to Gandji's brother-in-law Wurrpan and his children. Wurrpan discovers that Gandji has kept the highest quality meat for his