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Southern CassowaryAlternate name(s): "Double-wattled Cassowary", "Two-wattled Cassowary", "Australian Cassowary" Size: 1.5-1.75 m Weight: 29-34 kg (male), 58 kg (female) |
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Photos |
Race "johnsonii"
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ADULT |
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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]
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]
Frontal view of an adult male Southern Cassowary in captivity
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FEMALE |
Near-frontal view of a female Southern Cassowary; note the
prominent wattles
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Etty Bay Road, near Innisfail, QLD, September 2020]
Near-lateral view of a female Southern Cassowary
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Etty Bay Road, near Innisfail, QLD, September 2020]
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]
Frontal view of an adult female Southern Cassowary in captivity
(photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
Near-frontal view of an adult female Southern Cassowary in captivity
(photo courtesy of C. Hayne)
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IMMATURE/JUVENILE |
Lateral 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]
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Breeding information |
Breeding season: Jun - Oct | Eggs: 2 - 5 | Incubation period: 60 days | Fledging age: N/A |
Eggs are incubated by the male.
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Nest |
"bungobittah", "malunna" = nest [Aboriginal] |
Type: Scrape | Material: Leaf lining | Height above ground: N/A |
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Eggs |
"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay] |
Size: 140 x 90 mm | Colour: Greenish brown | Shape: Elliptical |
Southern Cassowary eggs have a structured surface.
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Behaviour |
Social behaviour: Territorial | Mobility: Sedentary | Elementary unit: Solitary |
Pairs, or later family clans, form only during the breeding season.
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Food, Diet |
Southern Cassowaries are fruit-eaters.