Cassowary

Cassowary (genus Casuarius) are big, flightless birds that live in the tropical rainforests of New Guinea, nearby islands and northeastern Australia. Three species exist today: the southern (double-wattled) cassowary, the northern cassowary and the dwarf cassowary.

The southern Cassowary is the fourth-tallest and third-heaviest living bird. Adults stand about 1.5 to 1.8 m tall, and some females reach 2 m. They typically weigh 15 to 76 kg. Females are larger and more brightly coloured than males, and the dwarf Cassowary is much smaller than the other two.

All Cassowary have a skin-covered, horn-like casque on the head that grows with age. Their wings are tiny, with stiff quills instead of flight feathers, and they have no tail feathers, no preen gland and no tongue. Each foot has three toes, and the inner toe carries a dagger-like claw that may be 125 mm long.

Cassowary belong to the ratites, a group that also includes emus, rheas, ostriches and kiwi, plus the extinct moas and elephant birds. Genetic evidence suggests their closest living relatives are emus. The dwarf Cassowary is more closely related to the northern Cassowary than either is to the southern. A fourth species, the pygmy cassowary, is extinct.

The genus Casuarius was erected by Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760. The name comes from the Malay word kasuari.

Live Cassowary have been traded for thousands of years. Some New Guinea Highlands societies capture chicks and raise them as semi-tame birds for ceremonial gift exchange and food. There is evidence that Cassowary may have been domesticated thousands of years before the chicken. Early people in Papua seem to have preferred harvesting eggs to taking adults.

Cassowary are shy, very wary of humans and good at vanishing into deep forest. They are solitary except during courtship, egg-laying and sometimes around plentiful food. Males and females keep separate, overlapping territories, and neither tolerates others of the same sex. Females are more prone to fight.

If provoked they can cause serious, even fatal, injuries by kicking with powerful legs. They can run at up to 50 km/h through dense forest, jump up to 1.5 m, and swim across wide rivers and even in the sea. They make a deep 'boom', the lowest-frequency bird call known.

Breeding starts in May to June. The female lays three to eight green eggs in a leaf-litter heap prepared by the male, then moves on to other males. The male incubates the eggs for 50 to 52 days and guards the chicks, which stay in the nest for about 9 months.

Cassowary eat fruit from many plant families, swallowing it whole, and they spread seeds across the forest floor. This makes them a keystone species of rainforest.

Wild Cassowary live about 18 to 20 years on average, and those in captivity can reach up to 40 years.

In a study of 140 Queensland deaths, natural causes accounted for 18 cases, including four of tuberculosis. Most deaths came from outside causes: motor-vehicle strikes (55%), dog attacks (18%), hunting, entanglement in wire and removal of birds that attacked people.

Their very short digestive tract lets them eat fruits containing toxins such as cyanogens. They have also been recorded swallowing non-food items, including plastic objects and marbles.

This is general awareness only, not veterinary advice. If you find an injured or unwell wild animal, contact a vet or a wildlife rescue.

What is a Cassowary?

It is a large, flightless rainforest bird of the genus Casuarius, found in New Guinea, nearby islands and northeastern Australia. There are three living species.

How long does a Cassowary live?

Wild birds live about 18 to 20 years on average. Captive birds can live up to 40 years.

Is the Cassowary really the world's most dangerous bird?

It is often called that and can inflict fatal injuries, but recorded statistics show the common ostrich kills more people. In a study of 150 attacks on humans, only one death was reported, and 75% involved birds that had been fed by people.

Why does a Cassowary have a crest on its head?

That is the casque. Suggested roles include display, amplifying deep sounds and regulating heat. Its exact purpose is still debated.

Can Cassowary live together?

No. They are solitary and aggressive toward their own kind, and in zoos individuals are kept in separate enclosures.

The Cassowary's boom call is the lowest-frequency bird call known and sits at the lower limit of human hearing.

In 2026, scientists found that casques glow under ultraviolet light, except the jet black casque of the dwarf Cassowary.

Seeds of one rare rainforest tree germinated 92% of the time after passing through a Cassowary's gut, against 4% otherwise.

The southern Cassowary is considered Asia's largest bird, and the Cassowary is New Guinea's second-largest land animal after introduced deer.

The Kalam people of New Guinea regard Cassowary as kin rather than birds.

The Mission Beach community in far north Queensland holds an annual Cassowary Festival each September.