Cassowary
Casuarius casuarius johnsonii
As tall as a person, with a high helmet on its head, a vivid blue neck and long drooping red wattles - this is the southern cassowary, found only in the tropical rainforests of north-east Queensland, Papua New Guinea and some surrounding islands.
Fast facts
Unique bird
In Australia, the cassowary is found in far north Queensland's tropical rainforests, melaleuca swamps and mangrove forests.
Did you know?
The cassowary is Australia's heaviest flightless bird but the emu is taller.
Rainforest gardener
The cassowary is an important rainforest gardener, spreading the seeds of rainforest trees. Sometimes the seeds are so large that no other animal can swallow and disperse them.
Dung data
Cassowary dung contains hundreds of seeds gathered over hectares of forest.
Description of cassowaries
Of three species of cassowaries in the world, only the southern cassowary, Casuarius casuarius johnsonii, is found in Australia. Like the emu and ostrich, the southern cassowary is a ratite, a large flightless bird with unusual feathers and other features that distinguish it from all other birds. A striking bird with glossy black plumage, the adult southern cassowary has a tall, brown casque (helmet) on top of its head, a vivid blue and purple neck, long drooping red wattles and amber eyes. The purpose of the tall helmet or casque is unknown but it may indicate dominance and age, as it continues to grow throughout life. Recent research indicates it may also assist cassowaries in "hearing" the low vibrating sound made by other cassowaries.
The cassowary's coarse hair-like feathers lack barbules that, in all other birds, hold the feathers together. The cassowary has no tail feathers, and its wing stubs carry a small number of long, modified quills which curve around the body. Each heavy, well-muscled leg has three toes, with the inside toe bearing a large dagger-shaped claw (up to 120mm long) used for scratching and fighting other birds.
Newly hatched chicks are striped dark brown and creamy white. After three to six months the stripes fade and the plumage changes to brown. As the young mature, the plumage darkens, the wattles and casque develop and the skin colour on the neck and wattles brighten. The cassowary is mature by about three years of age.
Adult cassowaries can grow to an imposing 2m tall. In general, the sexes are fairly similar in appearance, though females are slightly larger and can weigh up to 76kg. Males can weigh up to 55kg.
Conservation status
The southern cassowary is listed as Endangered under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992, the Wet Tropics population is listed as Endangered and the Cape York populations are listed as Vulnerable.
Distribution and habitat
At the time of European settlement of Australia, the cassowary lived in tropical rainforests of north-east Queensland, from Paluma Range (north of Townsville) to the tip of Cape York.
Their present distribution remains similar but is greatly reduced and fragmented by forest clearing.
On Cape York, they now occur in two separate populations: a southern population in the vine forests of the McIlwraith and Iron ranges and a northern population in the less extensive vine forests north of Shelburne Bay.
The cassowary distribution in Queensland. Image DERM.
Cassowary habitat in the Wet Tropics has since been greatly reduced by land clearing, so cassowary numbers have decreased. Cassowaries are now found in three broad populations. In the Wet Tropics cassowaries are distributed widely from Cooktown to Paluma Range. Approximately 89% of their remaining essential habitat in the Wet Tropics lies within protected tenures.
Cassowaries require a high diversity of fruiting trees to provide a year-round supply of fleshy fruits. Although occurring primarily in rainforest, they also use woodlands, melaleuca swamps, mangroves and even beaches, both as intermittent food sources and as connecting habitat between more suitable sites. Places with a mix of these environments are preferred by cassowaries that live on the coast.
CSIRO’s Sustainable Ecosystems are developing a method for population estimates looking at the genetics found in cassowary scat samples. Recent work has shown that cells from the stomach lining of cassowaries are passed out in their scats, so by collecting these scats, and analysing the cells found in them, it is possible to identify the sex and genetic code of each bird. Results will help identify the size of populations, as well as how far birds move and their breeding patterns.
Spotting cassowaries
Cassowaries are not common and may be hard to find. For such big, colourful birds, they blend remarkably well into rainforest shadows.
Look for signs such as characteristic large dung piles, full of seeds, scattered on the rainforest floor (often on walking tracks), and the unmistakable three-toed footprint (up to 180mm). Listen for a deep rumbling sound which the bird makes to advertise its presence and respond to danger.
You're most likely to see cassowaries around Mission Beach. You might also see them at the Wallaman Falls Section of Girringun National Park, the Cape Tribulation Section of Daintree National Park, the Palmerston Section of Wooroonooran National Park and around Kuranda.
Cassowaries can be aggressive. Protect yourself by learning some simple safety tips. Be Cass-o-wary. If you encounter a cassowary, back away slowly and put something like a tree or a backpack between yourself and the bird, and then let it go on its way.
Diet
Cassowaries prefer fallen fruit, but will eat small vertebrates, invertebrates, fungi, carrion and plants. Over 238 species of plants have been recorded in the cassowary diet.
Cassowaries play an important role in maintaining the diversity of rainforest trees. Cassowaries are one of only a few frugivores (fruit eaters) that can disperse large rainforest fruits and are the only long distance dispersal vector for large seeded fruits.
They swallow the fruit whole, digesting the pulp and passing the seeds unharmed in large piles of dung, distributing them over large areas throughout the rainforest. Some rainforest seeds even require the cassowary digestive process to help them germinate. Dung is large, often containing hundreds if not thousands of seeds. A ready-made fertiliser, the dung helps many kinds of seed to grow. White-tailed rats, bush rats, melomys and musky rat-kangaroos sometimes feed on seeds in cassowary droppings, helping to further distribute the seeds.
Behaviour and reproduction
Usually solitary animals, cassowaries live in a home range that fluctuates depending on season and availability of food. The size of observed home ranges have varied between 0.52km 2 to 2.35km 2. Female cassowaries tend to have overlapping ranges with several males. Cassowaries are territorial and contact between adults generally only occurs during mating. From May to November, pairs of cassowaries court briefly, mate and then separate. A female can mate with several males in one season.
Females lay between three to five large, olive-green eggs, generally between June and October. Eggs are incubated by the male for about 50 days, who alone guards the eggs and raises the chicks. Juveniles begin to fend for themselves from about eight to 18 months of age, when they are chased away by the male.
Threats to survival
A number of factors affect cassowary survival. The major threats include the loss, fragmentation and modification of habitat, vehicle strikes, dog attacks, human interactions, pigs, disease and natural catastrophic events.
Once common in far north Queensland, the cassowary's traditional feeding grounds, particularly the coastal lowlands, have been seriously reduced by land clearing for farming, urban settlement and other development. Widespread clearing and fragmentation of rainforest habitat have reduced cassowary numbers, until, today, the cassowary is threatened with extinction. Most of their lowland habitat has been cleared, and urban development threatens the continued existence of local populations outside of protected areas.
Cassowaries are sometimes killed when crossing roads. In the Mission Beach area, road accidents are the greatest single cause of cassowary deaths. Roads cut through cassowary territories, making it necessary for the birds to travel across them when looking for food. People often hand feed the birds from cars, attracting them to roads, sometimes with fatal results. Even littering, by tossing rubbish out of cars, can attract birds to the roadside and lead to their death.
Unrestrained and wild dogs are a major cause of cassowary deaths, particularly in areas near residential development. Chicks and sub-adults are small enough to be killed by dogs. However, packs of dogs also kill adult birds, pursuing them until they are exhausted, then attacking them. Dogs also indirectly affect cassowaries through their very presence, influencing the feeding, movements and general behaviour of the birds. Domestic dogs can also attack and kill cassowaries when they wander into suburban areas seeking food or water.
Pigs cause disturbance to the rainforest and compete with cassowaries for fallen fruit. They may also eat cassowary eggs and destroy nests.
Hand-feeding of cassowaries is a risk to both birds and people. Wild cassowaries conditioned to human food sources can be aggressive when protecting themselves or their chicks or seeking other human food. As birds become less wary of humans, they may become more vulnerable to dog attack and road mortality as they move around looking for food.
In recent years, cyclones have damaged large areas of cassowary habitat, causing temporary food shortages. This may have placed further stresses on local populations already under threat from habitat fragmentation, dogs and road impacts.
Conservation and recovery
A recovery plan has been developed for the southern cassowary and is the major planning mechanism directing cassowary conservation effort. It sets out actions to secure the long-term protection of cassowary populations through improved habitat protection and enhancement, threat abatement and community engagement programs.
- Recovery plan for the southern cassowary Casuarius casuarius johnsonii
Local residents in cassowary areas are establishing nurseries of cassowary food plants so that rainforest trees can be planted to replace cleared land, and corridors can be planted to join remaining patches of vegetation.
The Department of Environment and Resource Management has mapped the habitat of the cassowary. This is an important conservation action for the cassowary as it identifies where are the important areas for the species, which can then be considered in assessing future developments.
How can you help cassowaries?
Everyone can help protect our remaining cassowaries. If you live in or visit cassowary territory, follow these tips.
- Leave vegetation on your property, especially in gully heads and along creek banks, as feeding grounds and corridors for cassowaries.
- Be careful when driving. Slow down to avoid hitting any animals, but don't stop to watch them.
- Lock up your dog and cat, especially when cassowaries are around.
- Never feed cassowaries, especially on the side of the road where they might get hit by passing cars.
- Let cassowaries find their own food. If you feed them, they could come to depend on you, their health will suffer and they may starve when you go away or move elsewhere. It is also possible that they then may become aggressive to other people.
- Plant cassowary food plants. The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service can provide advice about the best trees to plant or your local native plant nursery should be able to provide some advice on cassowary food plants.
- If you would like to make a commitment to protecting cassowary habitat on your property, call the Department of Environment and Resource Management and ask us about our Nature Refuges.
Be Cass-o-wary!!
Southern cassowary
Casuarius casuarius johnsonii
Cassowaries are found throughout the rainforests, and nearby woodlands and swamps of north-east Queensland. As the area of cassowary habitat is reduced, human contact with cassowaries is increasing. Cassowary behaviour is unpredictable. Cassowaries are known to kick with their large clawed feet. This can inflict serious injuries to people and pets.
- Never approach cassowaries.
- Never approach chicks - male cassowaries will defend them.
- Never feed cassowaries - it is illegal, dangerous and has caused cassowary deaths.
- Always discard food scraps in closed bins and ensure compost bins have secure lids.
- Always slow down when driving in cassowary territory.
- Never stop your vehicle to look at cassowaries on the road.
- Keep dogs behind fences or on a leash.
If you come face-to-face with an aggressive bird, it's important to have some simple strategies to protect yourself. If you encounter a cassowary, back away slowly and put something like a tree or a backpack between yourself and the bird, and then let it go on its way.
Report cassowary sightings and incidents to your local Department of Environment and Resource Management office.
Further information
DERM Cairns Information Centre
5B Sheridan Street, Cairns
PO Box 2066 Cairns QLD 4870
ph (07) 4046 6600
fax (07) 4046 6751
email cic@derm.qld.gov.au
DERM Customer Service Centre
160 Ann Street , Brisbane
PO Box 15155 , City East QLD 4002
ph (07) 3227 8185
fax (07) 3227 8749
email info@derm.qld.gov.au
Last updated: 03 September 2009