Southern Cassowary

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Southern Cassowary

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Struthioniformes
Family:	Casuariidae
Genus:	Casuarius
Species:	C. casuarius
Subspecies:	C. c. aruensis C. c. bicarunculatus C. c. bistriatus C. c. casuarius C. c. johnsonni C. c. lateralis C. c. sclaterii C. c. tricarunculatus C. c. violicollis

Binomial name

Casuarius casuarius
Linnaeus, 1758

Distribution of the Southern Cassowary

The Southern Cassowary, Casuarius casuarius, also known as Double-wattled Cassowary or Two-wattled Cassowary, is a large flightless black bird with hard and stiff plumage, a brown casque, blue face and neck, red nape and two red wattles hanging down its throat. The three-toed feet are thick and powerful, equipped with a lethal dagger-like claw on the inner toe. The plumage is sexually monomorphic, but the female is dominant and larger with a longer casque and brighter-colored bare parts. The immature bird has plain brown plumage.

It is the largest member of the Cassowary family and is the second heaviest bird on earth, at a maximum size estimated at 85 kg (187 lb) and 190 cm (74 in). The Southern Cassowary is distributed in tropical rainforests of Aru and Seram Islands of Indonesia, New Guinea and northeastern Australia. It is technicially the largest Asian bird (since the extinction of the Arabian Ostrich) and the largest Australian bird (though the Emu may be slightly taller). It forages on the forest floor for fallen fruit.

A Southern Cassowary in a Zoo

The Southern Cassowary was first described by Linnaeus in his 18th century work, Systema Naturae, as Struthio casuarius.^[2] It is now the type species of the genus Casuarius.

The Southern Cassowary is a solitary bird, that pairs only in breeding season, which takes place in late winter or spring. The male builds a nest on the ground; a mattress of herbaceous plant material 5–10 cm (2–4 in) thick and up to 100 cm (40 in) wide. This is thick enough to let moisture drain away from the eggs. It is situated in a sheltered area among tall grass or similar cover. He also incubates the eggs and raises the chicks. A clutch of three or four eggs are laid measuring 138 mm x 95 mm. They have a granulated surface and are initially bright pea-green in colour though fade with age.^[3]

Due to ongoing habitat loss, limited range and overhunting in some areas, the Southern Cassowary is evaluated as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.^[1]