Southern Cassowary Introduction

The Southern cassowary is one of three extant cassowary species,
distinct in that it lives on the southern side of New Guinea and in
areas of northern Australia. Cassowaries are large, flightless birds,
similar in certain respects to emus and ostriches. In fact, cassowaries
are closely related to kiwis. Compared to a kiwi, however, the
Southern cassowary is much more in touch with its dinosaur
ancestors. There are several unique visual characteristics which make
the cassaway easy to identify. First, their bodies are covered by
coarse black feathers; these feathers conceal small, vestigial wings.
Second, the head and neck are unfeathered, displaying bright blue
skin. Third, two bright red flaps of skin called wattles hang down from
the neck. Fourth, a bulging casque made of bone and cartilage rises
from the top of the head like a hat. Each of these physical
characteristics are unique to the cassowary, giving it a particularly
striking appearance. At up to 190 cm tall, cassowaries are the largest
Asian bird, and this size can be quite intimidating. In fact, cassowaries
are known as the most dangerous birds in the world. Their size,
combined with their sharp beaks, sharper claws, and strong legs
makes them formidable when provoked—capable of killing humans
who threaten them. Cassowaries spend their time foraging on the
forest floor, eating fallen fruit, fungi, and insects. They are solitary
animals, and they only come together during breeding season.
Interestingly, females are larger and dominant. Males build nests on
the ground out of plant matter, elevated to allow for rain to drain
away. After the female lays a clutch of eggs, the male takes over and
incubates them by himself. He then proceeds to raise them until they
are ready to live on their own. The powerful legs of a southern
cassowary allow for quick movement through the forest, which they
can do almost entirely silently. The casque on the top of a cassowary’s head is used to push plants out of its way. Although classified as least concern, southern cassowary populations are declining as humans have intruded on their habitat.