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Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) Alternate name(s): "Double-wattled Cassowary", "Two-wattled Cassowary", "Australian Cassowary" Aboriginal name(s): Race "johnsonii": "gumbagan" [ngadjon] Size: 1.5-1.75 m Body mass: 29-34 kg (male), 58 kg (female)

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Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Southern Cassowaries are massive, flightless birds with very strong legs and long necks. Their plumage looks stringy and is black from the base of the neck downwards. The small heads have bony casques ("helmets"). Their heads and necks are bald, with blue-red skin and long crimson or red wattles. There are small differences between the two sexes. Male Southern Cassowaries have smaller casques and less conspicuous colours of the wattled skin compared with females. Males also have smaller feet. Juvenile Southern Cassowaries have a grey-brown plumage and orange-rufous skin on head and neck. Their wattles are inconspicuous and the casque is still absent. Chicks have a bold brown-white striped pattern and an orange-rufous head and neck.

Taxonomy, classification See Southern Cassowary at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Southern Cassorary is available HERE . The range of the Southern Cassowary extends from the West Papuan islands via the southern half of New Guinea to far north-eastern Australia. The range of Southern Cassowaries, race "johnsonii", in Australia is limited to parts of the East coast of Cape York peninsula in far-northern QLD and the coastal fringe, slopes and tablelands stretching to the North and South of Atherton. Southern Cassowaries are found in tropical rainforest, usually along stream banks and in clearings. Where to look? How to find this species? The easiest way to find Southern Cassowaries is to find out about stretches of road where they regularly cross or feed along the roadside margins.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "johnsonii" V. Collins found Southern Cassowaries, race "johnsonii", first at Mission Beach, QLD, in January 2004, and later in Daintree NP, QLD, in December 2014. S. Hardy and D. Johnston report spotting a family of Southern Cassowaries, race "johnsonii", between Daintree and Port Douglas, North QLD, in August 2013. D. Wilczynska reports spotting a Southern Cassowary, race "johnsonii", in Daintree NP, QLD, in March 2015. M. Eaton reports finding Southern Cassowaries, race "johnsonii", along the Etty Bay Road, near Innisfail, QLD, in August 2019 and again in September 2020. A. Ross-Taylor spotted a Southern Cassowary, race "johnsonii", at Etty Bay Beach, near Innisfail, QLD, in May 2022. J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours found Southern Cassowaries, race "johnsonii", at Etty Bay, QLD, in November 2020 and in Daintree NP, QLD, in June 2022. More were found at Cape Tribulation, QLD, on various occasions.

Photos

Race "johnsonii"

ADULT

PAIR

Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
Female Southern Cassowaries, right, have larger casques and also longer and more colourful wattles than males.

MALE

Near-frontal portrait of a male Southern Cassowary (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Daintree NP, QLD, March 2015]

Near-frontal view of a male Southern Cassowary (photo courtesy of D. Wilczynska)
[Daintree NP, QLD, March 2015]

Close-up lateral view of a male Southern Cassowary preening "on the go" (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Etty Bay, QLD, November 2020]

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 M. Eaton)
[Etty Bay Road, near Innisfail, QLD, August 2019]

FEMALE

Close-up full-frontal portrait of a Southern Cassowary; note the very large casque (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Cape Tribulation, QLD, June 2022]

Close-up frontal view of a female Southern Cassowary; note the prominent, long wattles - the sunbasking lady was blissfully unaware of the bird's passage (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Etty Bay Beach, near Innisfail, QLD, May 2022]

Near-frontal view of a female Southern Cassowary (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Etty Bay Road, near Innisfail, QLD, September 2020]

Close-up near-lateral portrait of a female Southern Cassowary (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Etty Bay Beach, near Innisfail, QLD, May 2022]

Close-up lateral view of a female Southern Cassowary looking towards the observer (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Etty Bay Beach, near Innisfail, QLD, May 2022]

Close-up lateral portrait of a female Southern Cassowary; the bird adopted this stance several times and its significance is unknown; according to the photographer, it might have been considering: "Did I leave my shoes at home..?"
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Cape Tribulation, QLD, June 2022]

Near-lateral view of a female Southern Cassowary (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Etty Bay Road, near Innisfail, QLD, September 2020]

Lateral portrait of a resting female Southern Cassowary (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Billabong Sanctuary, Townsville, QLD, November 2021]

Lateral view of a female Southern Cassowary (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Etty Bay Road, near Innisfail, QLD, September 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a female Southern Cassowary (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Etty Bay Road, near Innisfail, QLD, September 2020]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Close-up frontal portrait of a juvenile Southern Cassowary (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Cape Tribulation Road, Cape Tribulation, QLD, April 2023]

Close-up near-frontal portrait of a juvenile Southern Cassowary (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Cape Tribulation Road, Cape Tribulation, QLD, April 2023]

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Southern Cassowary keeping a keen eye on the photographer
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Kuranda Range, QLD, April 2022]

Close-up lateral portrait of a juvenile Southern Cassowary looking backwards
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Cape Tribulation Road, Cape Tribulation, QLD, April 2023]

Close-up lateral view of a juvenile Southern Cassowary (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Kuranda Range, QLD, April 2022]

Lateral view of a juvenile Southern Cassowary, front, adult behind (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Daintree NP, QLD, August 2022]

Near-dorsal view of a juvenile Southern Cassowary (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Etty Bay Road, near Innisfail, QLD, August 2019]

Male Southern Cassowary with three chicks crossing a road (photo courtesy of S. Hardy & D. Johnston)
[Daintree to Port Douglas road, QLD, August 2013]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Jun - Oct

Eggs: 2 - 5

Incubation period: 60 days

Fledging age: N/A

Eggs are incubated by the male.

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Scrape

Material: Leaf lining

Height above ground: N/A

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 140 x 90 mm

Colour: Greenish brown

Shape: Elliptical

Southern Cassowary eggs have a structured surface.

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Territorial

Mobility: Sedentary

Elementary unit: Solitary

Pairs, or later family clans, form only during the breeding season.

Lateral view of a Southern Cassowary in its natural tropical habitat
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Madja Boardwalk, Cape Tribulation, QLD, September 2023]

According to field guides, Southern Cassowary are often found along roadsides...
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Kuranda Range, QLD, April 2022]

... or crossing a road ... (photo courtesy of S. Hardy & D. Johnston)
[Daintree to Port Douglas road, QLD, August 2013]

... or just standing on the road (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Cape Tribulation, QLD, May 2022]

Food, Diet

Southern Cassowaries are fruit-eaters.

According to the photographer, very likely to be Southern Cassowaries' favourite fruit: Noah's Walnut; two adults were observed under a tree, waiting for the wing to blow harder and, when a fruit dropped, trying to outrun each other to get there first
(photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Bloomfield Track, Daintree, QLD, August 2023]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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