Southern Cassowary
Image: <div class="fn value"> <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Erc%C3%A9" title="User:Ercé">Roger Culos</a></div> (CC BY-SA 4.0)
NameSouthern Cassowary
Common NameSouthern Cassowary
Scientific NameCasuarius casuarius
FamilyCasuariidae
Wingspan (cm)20
Length (cm)150
Weight (g)50000
Plumage DetailsThe body is covered in coarse, stiff, glossy black feathers that resemble hair. The head and neck are largely featherless, displaying brilliant blue, purple, red, and orange skin, with two red wattles hanging from the throat.
Vocalization / CallSouthern Cassowaries produce deep booming calls, rumbles, and hisses. They are also known to make very low-frequency sounds, some of which are infrasonic and can travel long distances through dense forest.
Primary Dietomnivore
Primary Habitatsforest
Conservation Statusendangered
Geographic RangeFound in tropical rainforests of northeastern Queensland, Australia, New Guinea, and some surrounding islands.
Identifying Featureslarge bony casque on head, brightly colored bare skin on head and neck (blue, purple, red, orange), two red wattles on throat, coarse, stiff black plumage, flightless with vestigial wings, three-toed feet with a long, dagger-like claw on the inner toe
Description
The Southern Cassowary is a large, flightless bird known for its distinctive bony casque on its head and vibrant blue, purple, and red bare skin on its neck and head. It possesses powerful legs with dagger-like claws, making it a formidable inhabitant of dense rainforests. These birds are generally solitary and territorial.
