The Casuarius casuarius (scientific name) or Southern cassowary is a flightless bird found in tropical rainforests of Indonesia, New Guinea and North-Eastern Australia. With a height of 75 inches, this large bird has bristly stiff black plumage, a bare blue face and neck, and large grey legs with three-toed feet, useful to attack if threatened. It has red colouring on the nape and two large red wattles hanging down from its throat. A brown horn-like casque measuring nearly 6.7 inches sits on the top of the head. Its diet includes fallen fruits, vertebrates, insects and fungi. This bird’s clutch is comprised of 3-4 eggs, which are incubated for 50 days by the male, which also raises the chicks on its own. Its IUCN listing is VULNERABLE.
Southern Cassowary
