Southern cassowary

The southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius), also known as double-wattled cassowary, Australian cassowary, or two-wattled cassowary, is a large, flightless, mostly black bird, found in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and northeastern Australia. It is one of the three living species of cassowary, alongside the dwarf cassowary and the northern cassowary. It is a ratite and therefore related to the emu, ostrich, rhea and kiwi.

The Australian population is listed as Endangered under federal and Queensland state legislation.

Taxonomy

Presently, most authorities consider the southern cassowary monotypic, but several subspecies have been described. It has proven very difficult to confirm the validity of these due to individual variations, age-related variations, the relatively few available specimens (and the bright skin of the head and neck – the basis upon which several subspecies have been described – fades in specimens), and that locals are known to have traded live cassowaries for hundreds, if not thousands of years, some of which are likely to have escaped/been deliberately introduced to regions away from their origin. The southern cassowary was first described by Carl Linnaeus, in his 18th-century work Systema Naturae, as Struthio casuarius, from a specimen from Seram, in 1758.

The southern cassowary has been described under a large number of scientific names, all of which are now considered taxonomic synonyms for the species.

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! Synonyms

|Struthio casuarius Linnaeus 1758

|Casuarius casuarius altijugus Sclater 1878

|Casuarius altijugus Sclater 1878

|Casuarius casuarius aruensis Schlegel 1866

|Casuarius aruensis Schlegel 1866

|Casuarius australis Wall 1854

|Casuarius casuarius beccarii Sclater 1875

|Casuarius beccarii Sclater 1875

|Casuarius bicarunculatus Sclater 1860

|Casuarius casuarius bicarunculatus Sclater 1860

|Casuarius bistriatus van Oort 1907

|Casuarius casuarius bistriatus van Oort 1907

|Casuarius casuarius casuarius Linnaeus 1758

|Casuarius casuarius chimaera Rothschild 1904

|Cassowara eximia Perry 1811

|Casuarius casuarius grandis Rothschild 1937

|Casuarius galeatus Bonnaterre 1790

|Casuarius casuarius hamiltoni Mathews 1915

|Casuarius casuarius intensus Rothschild 1898

|Casuarius bicarunculatus intermedius Rothschild 1928

|Casuarius casuarius intermedius Rothschild 1928

|Casuarius casuarius johnsonii Müller 1866

|Casuarius johnsonii Müller 1866

|Casuarius casuarius lateralis Rothschild 1925

|Casuarius casuarius salvadorii Oustalet 1878

|Casuarius salvadorii Oustalet 1878

|Casuarius casuarius sclaterii Salvadori 1878

|Casuarius sclaterii Salvadori 1878

|Casuarius casuarius tricarunculatus Beccari 1876

|Casuarius bicarunculatus tricarunculatus Beccari 1876

|Casuarius tricarunculatus Beccari 1876

|Casuarius casuarius violicollis Rothschild 1899

|Hippalectryo indicus Gloger 1842

|Casuarius hagenbecki Rothschild 1904

Description

thumb|Phenotypic diversity of the head

The southern cassowary has stiff, bristly black plumage, a blue face and a long neck, red on the cape and two red wattles measuring around in length hanging down around its throat. A horn-like brown casque, measuring high, sits atop the head. The bill can range from . The plumage is sexually monomorphic, but the female is dominant and larger with a longer casque, larger bill and brighter-coloured bare parts. The juveniles have brown longitudinal striped plumage. It is technically the largest Asian bird (since the extinction of the Arabian ostrich) and the largest Australian bird (though the emu may be slightly taller).

Range and habitat

The southern cassowary is distributed in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and northeastern Australia. It mainly inhabits tropical rainforests but may make use of nearby savannah forests or mangroves stands. Inspection of the faeces reveals that commonly ingested fruits are Davidsonia pruriens, Syzygium divaricatum, and members of the palm (Arecaceae), quandong (Elaeocarpaceae), laurel (Lauraceae), and myrtle (Myrtaceae) families. Southern cassowaries make a thunderous call during mating season, and hissing and rumblings otherwise. Chicks will make frequent high-pitched contact whistles and chirps to call the male.

The first documented human death caused by a southern cassowary was on 6 April 1926. In Australia, 16-year-old Phillip McClean and his brother, age 13, came across a southern cassowary on their property and decided to try and kill it by striking it with clubs. The bird kicked the younger boy, who fell and ran away as his older brother struck the bird. The older McClean then tripped and fell to the ground. While he was on the ground, the cassowary kicked him in the neck, opening a 1.25 cm (0.5 in) wound that may have severed his jugular vein. The boy died of his injuries shortly thereafter.

Another human death due to a southern cassowary was recorded in Florida, United States on 12 April 2019. The bird's owner, a 75-year-old man who had raised the animal, was apparently clawed to death after he fell to the ground.

Being fed by people tempts southern cassowaries into closer associations with human-inhabited areas, increasing the already high risk of vehicle strikes – a major cause of southern cassowary mortality – and increasing the likelihood of encounters with humans.

In a 2017 Australian Birdlife article, Karl Brandt suggested Aboriginal encounters with the southern cassowary may have inspired the myth of the bunyip.

Conservation

Although subject to ongoing habitat loss (some due to logging), limited range, and overhunting in some areas, the southern cassowary was evaluated as Least concern in 2018 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Other threats include feral animals eating their eggs and roadkill. A study published in Biological Conservation in March 2023 listed 23 species which the authors considered to no longer meet the criteria as threatened species under the EPBC Act, including the Southern cassowary. A 2021 study had shown that extensive reservation had led to recovery of the species, and legislation had prevented the previously rapid loss of habitat. The reason for their assessment was given as "Populations now stable or declining at a rate less than threshold". The team, led by John Woinarski of Charles Darwin University looked at all species listed as threatened under the act in 2000 and 2022.

Southern cassowaries have been bred in zoos around the world, including White Oak Conservation in Yulee, Florida, United States.

Research

In 2026 scientists discovered that southern cassowary casques glow under ultraviolet light, and in different patterns than northern cassowary casques.

Gallery

Casuarius casuarius -upper body -captive-8a-2c.jpg|Upper body

Casuarius casuarius -Artis Zoo, Netherlands -chick-8a.jpg|Chick at Artis Zoo, Netherlands

Casuarius casuarius -Australia -walking across road-8.jpg|An older juvenile walking across a road in Australia

Southern_Cassowary.png | Mount Hypipamee National Park, Australia

File:Southern cassowary at MAV-USP.jpg|Skeletal mount (note damaged skull)

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References

External links

images and movies of the Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius)—ARKive
BirdLife Species Factsheet
Red Data Book
Southern Cassowary videos on the Internet Bird Collection
The Cassowary (text and images)