Cassowary

Cassowary (genus Casuarius), any of many huge flightless birds native to Australia and New Guinea. Cassowaries are the sole members of the Casuariidae family, which is part of the Casuariiformes order, which includes the emu. There are three species (six according to some scientists), each with many races. Casuarius, the common or southern cassowary bird, is the largest—nearly 1.5 metres (5 feet) tall—and has two long red wattles on the throat. It lives in New Guinea, surrounding islands, and Australia. The dwarf cassowary (C. bennetti) is native to New Guinea's higher elevations and may also be found on the island of New Britain, while the northern cassowary (C. unappendiculatus) lives in the northern plains of the country. The cassowary has been known to kill humans with slicing strikes from its feet, which include a long dagger-like nail on the innermost of its three toes. The bird has been seen running as fast as 50 kilometres (31 miles) per hour over tiny trails in the bush.

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Cassowary Bird

The cassowaries belong to the genus Casuarius, which is part of the order Casuariiformes. It is a ratite (a flightless bird lacking a keel on its sternum bone) that is endemic to New Guinea's tropical woods (Papua New Guinea and Indonesia), the Aru Islands, and northeastern Australia. There are three species left: The southern cassowary, the most common, is the third-tallest and second-heaviest living bird, behind only the ostrich and the emu. 

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The northern cassowary bird and the tiny cassowary represent the other two species. The pygmy cassowary bird is a fourth species that is now extinct. Cassowaries eat mostly fruit, although all species are true omnivores, eating a variety of other plant items such as shoots and grass seeds, as well as fungi, insects, and small vertebrates. Cassowaries are naturally afraid of humans, but if provoked, they may cause significant, even deadly, damage to both dogs and humans. The cassowary has been dubbed "the world's most dangerous bird" several times. 

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Cassowary Description

Cassowaries are typically shy birds that live in the deep forest. They can vanish long before a human notices them. The southern cassowary of the far north Queensland rainforests, and the northern and dwarf cassowaries even less so, are not extensively studied. Females are bigger and have more vibrant colours than males. Adult southern cassowaries stand 1.5 to 1.8 m (5 to 6 ft) tall and weigh 58.5 kg, with some females reaching 2 m (6.6 ft) tall (130 lb). A shaft and loose barbules make up the feathers of all cassowaries.

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They lack rectrices (tail feathers) as well as a preen gland. Cassowaries have five or six big remiges on their tiny wings. These are reduced to stiff, keratinous quills with no barbs, similar to porcupine quills. The furcula and coracoid have degenerated to the point where their palatal and sphenoid bones touch. These, coupled with their wedge-shaped body, are considered to be adaptations that allow them to sprint swiftly through the jungle while avoiding vines, thorns, and saw-edged leaves. Cassowaries have three toes and sharp claws on their feet.

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A dagger-like claw on the second toe, the inner one in the medial position, maybe 125 mm (5 in) long. Cassowaries are known for kicking humans and other animals with their strong legs, so this claw is particularly terrifying. Cassowaries can run up to 50 kilometres per hour (30 miles per hour) through dense woodland and jump up to 1.5 metres (5 ft). They are strong swimmers that can cross large rivers and swim in the sea.

Species

On their heads, all three species feature a keratinous, skin-covered casque that develops with age. The shape and size of the casque, which can reach 18 cm (7 in) in length, is determined by the species. The largest is C. casuarius, and the smallest is C. bennetti (tricorn form), with C. unappendiculatus varying in size. The hollow interior of the casque is covered with tiny filaments that are thought to have an acoustic role, contrary to previous findings.

1. Casuarius Casuarius

The southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) is a big flightless blackbird that is also known as the double-wattled cassowary, Australian cassowary, or two-wattled cassowary. Along with the tiny cassowary and the northern cassowary, it is one of the three extant cassowary species. It's a ratite, which means it's linked to emus, ostriches, rheas, and kiwis. The southern cassowary bird has stiff, bristly black plumage, a blue face and long neck, red on the cape, and two red wattles that dangle down around its throat, measuring around 17.8 cm (7.0 in) in length.

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A horn-like brown casque rests atop the head, reaching 13 to 16.9 cm (5.1 to 6.7 in) in height. The bill can be anywhere between 9.8 and 19 cm long (3.9 to 7.5 in). The three-toed feet are strong, with a deadly dagger-like claw on the inner toe measuring up to 12 cm (4.7 in). The plumage is monomorphic in both sexes, although the female is bigger and more dominating, with a longer casque, larger beak, and brighter-coloured exposed portions. The youngsters have brown striped plumage that extends longitudinally.

2. Casuarius Unappendiculatus

The northern cassowary (Casuarius unappendiculatus) also known as the single-wattled cassowary, one-wattled cassowary, or golden-necked cassowary, is a large, stocky flightless bird of northern New Guinea. Along with the tiny cassowary and the southern cassowary, it is one of the three extant cassowary species. It belongs to the Palaeognathae superorder. It has black plumage that is rigid and stiff, blue facial skin, and a casque on top of its head.

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Its neck and wattle are brilliant red or yellow. The feet are massive and powerful, and the inner toe has a long, dagger-like claw. The sexes are comparable. After the common ostrich, Somali ostrich, and southern cassowary, the male weighs 30 to 37 kg (66 to 82 lb). The female weighs an average of 58 kg (128 lb), making it the fourth-largest extant bird species. These birds stand 1.5–1.8 m (4.9–5.9 ft) tall and are 149 cm (4.89 ft) long.

3. Casuarius Bennetti

The dwarf cassowary (Casuarius bennetti) is the smallest of the three cassowary species, also known as Bennett's cassowary, tiny cassowary, mountain cassowary, or mooruk. The dwarf cassowary is a big bird, although it is smaller than other cassowaries that are still alive (the southern cassowary and northern cassowary). It measures between 99 and 150 centimetres (3.25 and 4.92 feet) in length and weighs between 17.6 and 26 kg (39 and 57 lb). It has rigid, stiff black plumage, a low triangular casque, 

pink cheeks, and red patches of flesh on its blue neck. 

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The dwarf cassowary is smaller than other cassowaries, with a tarsi length of 24.5 cm (9.6 in) and a beak length of 11 to 12.2 cm (4.3 to 4.8 in). The inner toe has dagger-like claws, and the feet are big and strong. Both sexes have a lot in common. Females have longer casques, lighter exposed skin, and larger height.

Behaviour of Cassowary

Female cassowaries have bigger territories than males, which overlap. While females move between different males' satellite territories, they appear to stay in the same area for most of their lives, mating with the same or closely related males. Females initiate courtship and pair-bonding rituals by emitting vibratory noises. Except for courting, egg-laying, and when there is enough food, cassowaries are solitary birds. For himself, the male cassowary protects a region of roughly 7 km² (1,700 acres).

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Males approach and sprint with their necks parallel to the ground and dramatic head motions that emphasise the frontal neck area. Slowly, the female approaches, drumming. The female either stands on the male's back for a brief period before kneeling behind him in preparation for copulation, or she attacks him. This is frequently the case when females pursue males in ritualistic chasing behaviours that usually end in water. The male cassowary plunges into the water, submerging his top neck and head.

The female chases him into the water, where he leads her to the shallows, where she crouches and makes ritualistic head gestures. Long periods of copulation are possible between the two. Another guy may arrive and chase the first man away in some instances. He'll also get on top of her to copulate. Males are far more tolerant of one another than females, which simply can not stand being around other females. 

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Reproduction

The breeding season for cassowaries begins in May and lasts through June. Each clutch consists of three to eight big, brilliant green or light green-blue eggs laid on a mound of leaf litter produced by the male. Cassowary eggs are ostrich and emu eggs are bigger, measuring around 9 by 14 cm (3.5 by 5.5 in). The male incubates the eggs for 50–52 days, adjusting the temperature by removing or adding litter, and then defends the chicks, who stay in the nest for around 9 months. Cassowary zealously guards them against any potential predators, even people. Later, the young males go off to find their area. The female is careless about the eggs or chicks and instead travels throughout her territory, laying eggs in the nests of numerous different males.

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Young cassowaries have buffy stripes and are brown. In native communities (New Guinea), they are frequently kept as pets and are allowed to roam freely like barnyard fowl. They are frequently maintained until they are fully grown and someone is injured. Mature cassowaries are housed in cribs that aren't much bigger than the birds themselves. Garbage and other vegetable food are fed to them, and birds may live in such cages for years, yet their plumage is still worth as much as shell money in certain regions. Fresh plumes are frequently missing from caged birds.

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Diet

Cassowaries are primarily frugivores, but they can be omnivorous when tiny prey is available. Flowers, mushrooms, snails, insects, frogs, birds, fish, rats, mice, and carrion are all part of their diet. Cassowaries have been seen to eat fruit from at least 26 different plant groups. The diet should include fruits from the laurel, podocarp, palm, wild grape, nightshade, and myrtle families.

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The bird's name is derived from the cassowary plum. Cassowaries flock to fruit-bearing trees to dine, with each bird guarding a tree against others for a few days. When the fruit is exhausted, they move on. Fruit is eaten whole, including huge things like bananas and apples. Cassowaries are important rainforest animals because they consume fallen fruit intact and disperse seeds through their faeces. The cassowary is said to be a tough animal to eat. The cassowary "should be cooked with a stone in the pot: when the stone is ready to eat, so is the cassowary," according to Australian administrative officers stationed in New Guinea. 

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Role in Seed Dispersal and Germination

Cassowaries eat the fruit of dozens of rainforest species, and they usually spread viable seeds in huge, thick scats. They have been observed dispersing seeds over lengths of more than a kilometre, indicating that they play a vital function in the ecology. Seeds of the uncommon Australian rainforest tree Ryparosa germination rates were found to be much higher after passing through the gut of a cassowary. 

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Distribution and Habitat

Cassowaries are only found in New Guinea's wet rainforests, surrounding smaller islands, East Nusa Tenggara, the Maluku Islands, and northeastern Australia. They do travel into palm scrub, grassland, savanna, and swamp forest, however. It's uncertain if some island populations are natural or the consequence of the human-to-human bird trade.

Cassowary Facts

• The male bird is the one that raises the chicks, and he is more dangerous while he is acting as a father. He won't think twice about slashing predators and other dangers with his claws.

• In a season, the female mates with two or three males. After mating, she walks on and deposits her eggs in their nest.

• Cassowaries were originally thought to utilise the hard casques on top of their heads to push through the undergrowth in the rainforest, but biologists aren't so sure anymore.

• The bird has a diverse vocal repertoire that includes booms, hisses, rumbles, and roars.

Conclusion

Cassowaries are the sole members of the Casuariidae family. There are three species (six according to some scientists), each with many races. Cassowaries have five or six big remiges on their tiny wings. These are reduced to keratinous quills with no barbs, similar to porcupine quills. Cassowaries can run up to 50 kilometres per hour (30 miles per hour) through dense woodland. Cassowaries are solitary birds of prey, with males protecting their territory. Females initiate courtship and pair-bonding rituals by emitting vibratory noises. Cassowary eggs are 3.5 by 14 cm (3.5 to 5.5 in) when they hatch. Cassowaries are mainly frugivorous, but they can be omnivorous when there is food.