Southern Cassowary
Casuarius casuarius
- Class
- Bird
- Rarity
- Common
- Observations
- 1,659
- Most observed in
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Description
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. Southern cassowaries are among the largest birds in the world, only weighing less than ostriches. The Australian population is listed as Endangered under federal and Queensland state legislation.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Southern cassowary”.