The cassowary's bony helmet is made of keratin.
The cassowary is the third-largest of the world's flightless birds behind ostriches and emus. They all belong to the ratite bird group, which also includes rheas and kiwis. The feathers of ratites lack the barbules that help hold together the feathers of flying birds. Ratites also lack a keel on the breastbone, which is necessary for flight. Except for mating and rearing its young, the adult cassowary lives a solitary life.
Identification
Cassowary feathers appear soft and droopy.
The cassowary's unusual appearance includes droopy black feathers, a brightly colored blue and purple head and neck, fleshy red wattles under the beak and a brown casque, or large helmet-shaped bony growth on its head. There are three species: the northern cassowary, the southern cassowary and the dwarf cassowary. Adult cassowaries can reach 6 feet in height and can weigh more than 100 pounds. Females and males are very similar in appearance, but adult females are usually slightly larger than the males.
Habitat and Diet
Northeastern Queensland is the pointed area on the top right part section of Australia.
According to information from the Queensland Government Department of Environment and Resource Management, the southern cassowary is native only to northeastern Queensland, Australia; the northern and dwarf species are also found in Papua New Guinea and some Indonesian islands. The agency describes the cassowary habitats as tropical rainforests and swamp forests. Cassowaries eat fruit that has fallen to the ground. According to the San Diego Zoo, they are considered to be important to the continuing regeneration of plant life as many plants require passage through the cassowary's digestive tract in order to germinate and sprout.
Defense
All cassowaries have three toes on each foot. The inside toe bears a 4-inch-long, daggerlike claw that the cassowary uses to defend itself or its young. The cassowary is considered to be a shy bird but dangerous and aggressive when it feels threatened. According to an article from the San Diego Zoo, cassowaries can jump 7 feet in the air. The cassowary is considered the most dangerous bird in the world.
Mating and Nesting
Cassowaries are solitary by nature. They reach maturity by 3 years of age. Mating season is June to October; the female may mate with several different males over the course of a season. She stays with each male long enough to dig a 4-inch nest in the ground and lay three to five greenish eggs. According to the Queensland Government Department of Environment and Resource Management, the male sits on the eggs and cares for the brown-striped baby cassowaries. Incubation takes about 50 days. The chicks may stay with their father for up to 18 months before going off on their own.
Life Expectancy
It is generally believed that the life expectancy of the cassowary is between 40 and 50 years. Though they are potentially very long-lived, the Australian government considers their cassowary populations to be endangered and urgently threatened because of forest clearing and consequent shrinking habitat.
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