The term 'Big Australian Bird' can be summarized by the three letter word EMU. The EMU is the second-largest living bird by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. It is native to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. The EMU's range covers most of mainland Australia, but the Tasmanian, Kangaroo Island and King Island subspecies became extinct after the European settlement of Australia in 1788.