If you have never heard of a cassowary, or you want to learn a little more about these secretive, impressive birds, then this post is for you.
There are three species of cassowary on the planet. They are:
- The southern (or double-wattled) cassowary;
- The northern (or single-wattled) cassowary; and
- The dwarf (or Bennett’s) cassowary.
Geographically, these birds live in a very small part of the world. Sadly their numbers are rapidly dwindling.
Only the southern cassowary is found in Australia. Confusingly only in the north – in the tropical rainforests of Queensland.
The southern cassowary also inhabits parts of New Guinea and Indonesia, with the northern and dwarf cassowaries.
We are lucky to have southern cassowaries visit our property on a regular basis. They are magnificent birds and one of our main inspirations for living a more sustainable life.
Here are ten crazy cassowary facts to spark your interest in these amazing creatures.
1. A Cassowary is as Tall and Heavy as a Person
Cassowaries are very tall, imposing birds. They are as tall as humans, and the southern cassowary is the tallest of them all.
Adult birds range in height from 1.5 metres to almost 2 metres. They are also very heavy, with an average weight of 50kg.
The southern female cassowary is the more dominant bird. She is larger, heavier and more aggressive than the male, sometimes weighing as much as 85kg.
Southern cassowaries are, therefore:
- The third tallest birds on the planet;
- The second heaviest birds on the planet;
- Smaller only than the ostrich and emu.
2. Cassowaries Cannot Fly but Run at Speeds of up to 50km/h
Cassowaries are ground-dwelling, flightless birds. They have tiny, almost non-existent wings.
Their black, coarse feathers help them camouflage in the rainforest. Their feathers also protect them from spiky plants.
Cassowaries have strong, chunky legs, with three large toes on each foot. They are excellent at running and jumping. Surprisingly they are also good at swimming too!
They can run at speeds of up to 50 kilometres per hour. This is much faster than you, so don’t try to outrun one!
3. Cassowaries’ Skin Changes Colour when Agitated
Both male and female southern cassowaries look similar. They have pale blue skin on their heads and dark blue and red skin on their necks. They also have two long, red wattles at the front of their neck.
The female is usually a little more brightly coloured than the male.
The colour of the cassowaries’ skin and wattles can change depending upon their mood. The colours become more vivid when they are aroused or agitated.
We don’t recommend that you hang around too long to see if their skin changes colour due to our next fact…
4. Cassowaries are Australia’s Most Dangerous Birds
Southern cassowaries are usually quite shy, but they are considered to be Australia’s most dangerous bird! In fact, they are one of the world’s most dangerous birds (if not the most dangerous), so you don’t want to mess with them!
Southern cassowaries:
- Can be aggressive at times;
- Have a large, hard, casque on their head;
- Have an elongated spike on their inner toe.
Cassowaries are solitary birds and can become aggressive when defending their territory. They may also be aggressive if they feel threatened, for example, if startled or cornered.
Males are more tolerant of each other than females. However, males will get aggressive when defending their chicks.
As much as we love these gigantic creatures, we do try to keep our distance. They could easily gut you with their razor-sharp toenail or helmet-like casque should they take a disliking to you. Just saying…😊.
5. A Cassowary is a Living Dinosaur
Most palaeontologists consider birds to be living dinosaurs. In our opinion, there is no better example of this than the southern cassowary. They certainly look ancient with their scaly skin and large brown casques!
No-one is exactly sure what function those prehistoric-looking casques perform either. Biologists speculate that they could:
- Act as a protective helmet when moving through the rainforest; or
- Be a sign of dominance (they grow with age); or
- Be resonation chambers, amplifying the booming calls of potential mates and rivals.
Some crested dinosaurs were thought to have similar resonation chambers, so that gives some weight to this last theory.
Given how little we know about these birds, it would be a great shame if we let this living link to the past become extinct.
6. Daddy Cassowary Looks After the Babies, not Mum
Interesting, it is the male cassowary that:
- Builds the nest;
- Incubates the eggs for almost two months;
- Raises the chicks ALONE for up to 9 months.
The breeding season usually runs from June to October. This can vary depending on how much food is available.
The female will lay 4-6 large green eggs in a simple depression in the ground lined with leaves. Once the female has laid her eggs, she abandons them. Probably to go and mate with another male or two!
The male cassowary, however, remains with the eggs until the chicks hatch. He often goes without food or water for several months while incubating the eggs.
Baby cassowaries are small and yellowish with black stripes. After three months or so their stripes disappear. Then they turn a yellowish-brown colour all over.
It can take 2 to 3 years for the juveniles to get their adult colours and casque. It takes a few more years before they too start to breed.
We have had the privilege of seeing multiple chicks and juvenile cassowaries over the years.
7. Cassowaries are a Keystone Species of the Rainforest
The southern cassowary is an essential part of the rainforest ecosystem. Cassowaries eat fallen fruit whole, even fruit as large as bananas. They then disperse seeds in their scats through the rainforest.
Cassowaries are a keystone species because:
- They can eat many species which are poisonous to other animals;
- Their digestive system allows the seed to travel through the gut unharmed;
- Their scats provide a mini compost pile for the seed, helping it to germinate;
- They disperse the seeds some distance away from the parent tree.
Cassowaries mainly feed under trees that have already dropped their fruit. They love the native olives that we have growing on our property.
However, they are omnivores and will eat everything. From flowers to fungi and insects. They will even eat small birds, rodents and fish.
The cassowary regularly eats the poisonous berries of the Cerbera Floribunda. As a result, this purple fruit is commonly known as the ‘cassowary plum’.
Without the cassowary, many rainforest species such as the cassowary plum would become much less common.
8. A Cassowary Can Live for a Very Long Time
Cassowaries live for a long time. They can exceed 40 years of age in captivity, however, are more likely to have a shorter lifespan in the wild.
Unfortunately, many cassowaries do not make it into adulthood. This is due to the hazards they encounter on a daily basis.
Chicks and juveniles can fall prey to dogs. Dogs in packs can even harass adult cassowaries to the point of exhaustion or death. Dogs may also chase or scare cassowaries away from potential food and water sources.
Feral pigs are a threat to cassowaries too. Pigs have a similar diet and therefore compete with them for food. They destroy cassowary nests, eat their eggs and are potential predators of their young.
Also, feral pigs often contaminate water sources by rooting, defecating and urinating in the water.
9. Cassowaries are Endangered in Australia
There are as few as 2000 southern cassowaries left in Australia. Tallies do vary because it is a nearly impossible task to track these reclusive, solitary birds through dense rainforest.
Southern cassowaries are therefore listed as endangered in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Cassowaries, in general, are not well researched. The northern cassowary and dwarf cassowaries are even less well researched than the southern cassowary. However, we know that they are also vulnerable and in decline.
Cassowaries are impressive, awe-inspiring birds, and we feel very privileged to see them so frequently. However, we do need to do more to protect them for future generations.
10. The Biggest Threat to These Impressive Birds are Humans
The main threat to cassowaries is the destruction of their natural habitat. This occurs through the clearing of rainforest for farming and development.
This impacts the cassowaries by:
- Reducing the size of their territories and their ability to establish a new territory;
- Reducing their available food sources;
- Fragmenting the rainforest.
Most cassowaries that lose their habitat due to clearing fail to establish themselves elsewhere. They will then usually die due to stress or starvation.
Fragmentation of the rainforest also forces cassowaries to walk across roads. Some cassowaries have several roads passing through their territories. Each time a cassowary crosses a road it risks death or injury.
Cassowaries are slow-reproducing birds, with a low juvenile survival rate. Therefore, each road death is a significant blow to their total population.
Fragmentation may also prevent cassowaries from moving away from their birthplace. This can create genetically isolated subpopulations.
What We Can Do to Protect Them
To ensure its survival the southern cassowary needs our help.
We need to:
- Protect the existing rainforests and prevent further deforestation;
- Educate people not to feed cassowaries. This attracts them to human habitation and greater exposure to death and injury from cars and dogs;
- Drive more carefully in cassowary habitat;
- Stop our dogs from roaming free where they might impact on native flora.
If we don’t take steps to protect one of our most iconic birds, then it is likely their numbers will continue to dwindle putting them at risk of extinction.
