The Southern Cassowary male with his chicks - possibly a year old crossing a cassowary interpretive signage. 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 avian frugivore in the world. Cassowaries are striking in appearance, with a tall brown casque (helmet) on top of their head, a vibrant blue and purple neck, red wattles and glossy black plumage. The purpose of the casque is unknown and hypotheses include that it indicates dominance, protects the bird’s head when running through the forests, or aids cassowaries in hearing the low vibrating sounds made by other cassowaries. They possess small vestigial ‘wings’ with 5-6 bare quills and a long claw at the tip of the wing.
Southern cassowaries can grow to a height of 2 metres, with males weighing up to 55kg and females up to 76kg. Each leg has three claws, with the medial claw reaching up to 120mm in length! Cassowary chicks differ in appearance, with a striped brown and cream pattern. After 3-6 months, the stripes fade to the brown sub-adult plumage. This is retained until 12-18 months of age after which the bird begins to take on adult characteristics. Maturity is reached at 3.5 years of age for females and 2.5 years for males.