Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius)

Other Names (World)
Southern Cassowary, Double-wattled Cassowary, Two-wattled Cassowary, Australian Cassowary

Family
Casuariidae (Cassowaries, Emus)

Size
150 - 175 cm

First Described (Guide)
(Linnaeus, 1758)

Derivation
Cas-u-ar'-i-us - N.L., from Malay kesuari, cassowary, cas-u-ar'-i-us - N.L., from Malay kesuari, cassowary

Abundance (Guide)
UC

Uncommon, though numerous in areas where habitat remains undisturbed.

Habitat
Pastoral lands, open Mulga, saltbush, bluebush, grassed sandplains and dunes, especially near streams.

Range (Guide)

Australia (B) (NB), Indonesia (B) (NB), Papua New Guinea (B).

Most of New Guinea except north-central and highlands. Aru Is (eastern Indonesia). Two isolated populations in north-eastern Queensland (Australia). Also Seram, where presumably introduced.

North-eastern Queensland from the Pascoe River on Cape York Peninsula south to near Townsville.

Rarity Status
View Rarity Status Information

Population
Estimated population is 10,000 - 19,999 (2010) and decreasing.

Status LC
Habitat loss and fragmentation and hunting are the main threats.

Possibly vulnerable to endangered.

See also EPBC Act List of Threatened Fauna for subspecies johnsonii (Australian).

For more information see BirdLife International Species Factsheet.

Habits
Usually alone and occasionally in pairs.

Food
Mainly fallen fruit, feeding singly. At times of fruit shortage they will invade gardens and orchards to eat cultivated fruits. They will also eat fungi, snails, and small dead fauna.

Voice
A variety of rumbles, booms, roars and hisses.

(47Kb) © ? (1)

Xeno-Canto Sound Files (more (18)...)

Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) [XC125291]
by Phil Gregory from Cassowary House, Kuranda, Queensland, Australia, Australia (?)

Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) [XC140150]
by Phil Gregory from Cassowary House, Kuranda, Queensland, Australia, Australia (call)

Movie

Breeding Season (Guide)
May - November but usually June - October, coinciding usually with the maximum availability of fruit.

Nest
A scrape in the ground lined with grasses, fern fronds and leaves. Usually situated deep within forested areas.

Eggs (Guide)
Clutch Size: 3 - 8, usually 4
Color: lustrous mid-green
Dimensions: 140 x 90 mm (ellipsoidal)
Incubation: 60 days by male

Young
Only the male broods, escorting the family group for upto 9 months.

Subspecies
Eight subspecies traditionally recognized, but good evidence for their validity lacking.

The following 8 subspecies are recognised:

casuarius (Linnaeus, 1758) - Seram.
johnsonii Mueller, 1866 - Australia (North-east Queensland).
aruensis Schlegel, 1866 - Aru Island.
sclateri Salvadori,1878 - New Guinea.
bicarunculatus Sclater, 1860 - New Guinea.
tricarunculatus Beccari, 1876 - New Guinea.
bistriatus van Oort 1907 - New Guinea.
lateralis Rothschild, 1925 - New Guinea.

References
See References.

The Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Pizzey, G., and Knight, E., 1997, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 19691 5
Field Guide to Australian Birds Morecombe, M., 2000, Steve Parish Publishing Pty Ltd. ISBN 1 876282 10 X
Field Guide to the Birds of Australia Simpson, K., and Day, N., 1999, 6th Edition, Viking ISBN 0 670 87918 5
Reader's Digest Complete Book of Australian Birds 1988, 2nd Edition, Reader's Digest ISBN 0 949819 99 9
What Bird is That? 1984, Revised Edition, Angus & Robertson, Sydney ISBN 0 207 14846 5
Handbook of Australian, New Zealand & Antarctic Birds 1990 - , Oxford University Press, Melbourne ISBN 0 19 553244 9

Files:

JPG files for Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) - 10 files

MP3 files for Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) - 1 files

MOV files for Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) - 3 files

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