Unlock thousands of full-length species accounts and hundreds of bird family overviews when you subscribe to Birds of the World. Rainforests. Where do they live, what do they eat, about their physical attributes, check Southern Cassowary for more Southern Cassowary facts. Habitat. The southern cassowary is the largest species, reaching 5.8 feet (170 centimeters) in height. Male Southern cassowaries measure between 112-136cm and weigh between 29-34kg on average. The Southern Cassowary also know as the Double-Wattled Cassowary, Australia Cassowary or Two-Wattled Cassowary, is a very large bird that doesn't have the ability to fly. Found in the rainforests of north Queensland and associated vegetation mosaics, the southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) is an iconic flightless bird that is listed as Endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC). With royal blue necks and shaggy, jet-black feathers, cassowaries look like no other birds on planet earth. As tropical rainforest inhabitants, the destruction of these forests has greatly reduced the cassowary’s habitat. They're capable swimmers, known to swim across rivers and into the sea to escape dog attacks. Southern Cassowaries can be as tall as 2 metres and reach full maturity at around 3.5 years old. The southern cassowary population in the wild is thought to be up to 20,000 adult birds. Mission Beach Southern Cassowary Mission Beach is blessed with being the habitat of the endangered southern cassowary. In certain areas birds come near human habitation seeking food. The southern cassowary is a large, flightless bird with a helmet of tough skin on its head, used to push through vegetation in the rainforest. They require this diverse range of habitats to ensure availability of fleshy fruits year round. Males weigh up to 121 pounds (55 kilograms) and females reach about 167 pounds (76 kilograms). Continuing clearing and fragmentation of rainforest, and increased mortality from cars and dogs have reduced cassowary numbers to perhaps as few as around 2000, Taken by Michael Schmid The southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) is a large flightless black bird. Today it is restricted to the rainforests in north eastern Queensland. Threatened species and communities The southern cassowary is one of Australia's most imposing birds – large, colourful, and flightless. Although the southern cassowary is not listed as endangered, its numbers in Australia have declined by 30% in the past 44 years due to habitat loss through deforestation. Diet. Key Findings . They are stocky and more heavily-built than emus and ostriches that live in deserts and grasslands. Southern Cassowaries are found in Queensland’s Wet Tropics and Cape York Peninsula, but occurrence within their natural range has been greatly reduced and fragmented by historical forest clearance. The southern cassowary inhabits the tropical forests of new guinea, surrounding islands, and the north east coast of Australia (Queensland). Lateral view of a male Southern Cassowary (photo courtesy of M. Eaton) [Etty Bay Road, near Innisfail, QLD, August 2019] Lateral view of a male Southern Cassowary (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska) [Daintree NP, QLD, March 2015] Near-dorsal view of a male Southern Cassowary (photo courtesy of … It was originally thought that they stemmed from one common ancestor or monophyletic; however, recent DNA genome analysis has found that flightless birds are actually polyphyletic (Harshman,200). Good news about the Southern Cassowary. The Southern Cassowary- also known as the double-wattle cassowary is a part of the group names 'ratites', which are large flightless birds. Southern Cassowaries are found in northern Queensland. Description. Subscribed. Biologists have been enthralled with the large flightless birds for decades. Southern cassowary threats to the southern cassowary Throughout their range, Southern Cassowaries live alone, and inhabit the same area all year round. All about that bass: southern cassowaries produce extremely low-pitched vocalizations. Habitat The Cassowary has its native home in the tropical forests of New Guinea, the surrounding islands, and Northeastern Australia. The Cassowary eats jungle fruits, shoots and miscellaneous vegetable matter. The southern cassowary, also known as the double-wattled cassowary (family Casuariidae), is native to the tropical forests of New Guinea, nearby islands and north-eastern Australia.The name cassowary comes from the Malay name kesuari.The cassowary is the largest fruit-eating bird in the world. Distribution. Includes a Small Pond for Water. Cassowaries thrive in lowland tropical forests as well as mangroves, eucalyptus and tee tree forests and can also been seen on beaches adjacent to these habitats The Southern Cassowary is a shy bird and can rarely be found in the wild, but as humans are moving into their fragile habitat the adult cassowary can get angry and attack whilst trying to protect it's young, giving it the title of the most dangerous bird in the world. Putting Nature Back is Working in the Lower Daintree as cassowary habitat extends. Each species account is written by leading ornithologists and provides detailed information on bird distribution, migration, habitat, diet, sounds, behavior, breeding, current population status, and conservation. In reality the Southern Cassowary is still fighting rare and endangered status. The southern cassowary is Australia’s second-largest bird after the Emu, and a distant ­relative of New Zealand’s extinct moa. With giant, claw-like feet and drooping, dinosaur-like skin, it should come to no surprise that the Cassowary is often called the “Dinosaur bird”. All trademarks are property of their respective owners in the US and other countries. The Southern Cassowary has two powerful legs similar to that of its relatives, the Emu and Ostrich. Listed in 1988, the Wet Tropics extends from Cooktown through Cairns and Mission Beach to Townsville and […] In parts of its range the Southern Cassowary is still relatively common, but numbers are decreasing because of habitat clearance and collisions with cars. Cassowary Habitat with Welfare High. All of us at Rainforest Rescue this past week were thrilled when Joe Reichl, our Daintree Land Manager, got word that for the first time in over forty years, an endangered Southern Cassowary … Southern Cassowary Chick in Egg.