If someone told you that there existed a five-foot tall bird with a dagger-like claw on each foot that could slice you open, would you believe them? This is not a fictional animal; it's real! It is the cassowary, a large, flightless and colorful bird with a potentially deadly kick. Where might you encounter one? Join us as we take a closer look at the unique cassowary.
5 Amazing Cassowary Facts
*The male bird raises the chicks, and he is especially dangerous in parent mode. He won’t hesitate to use his claws on predators and other threats.
*The female mates with two or three males in a season. She lays her eggs in their nest after mating, then moves on.
*Biologists once believed cassowaries used the hard casques on top of their heads to push through the undergrowth in the rain forest, but now they’re not so sure what the casque is for.
*The bird has a good repertoire of vocalizations, including booms, hisses, rumbles, and roars.
*A dinosaur closely resembling a cassowary was recently discovered! The two species aren’t directly related, with cassowary relatives having first evolved 60 million years ago they have ancient traits found in few animals today!
Its wings are nearly vestigial and only have a few quills. The feathers of the cassowary are coarse, and some have filaments that resemble hairs. Because of this, the cassowary was hunted and is raised for its feathers. Females are bigger than males, and the bright colors of their heads and necks are more vivid. Even more striking is the knifelike claw on the inner toe of each foot. The claws of this mostly fruit-eating bird are at least as formidable as the talons of the most powerful bird of prey.
In day time while having lunch on wild channel, there was showing about Moody beasts. This show was about animal, in which main point is about , Harmons impact on animal life style. Just like human being , Harmons made changes in animal too.
At first it showing about crocodile , female crogs become more possessive after breeding, specially for their own kids. Their sole aim is to protect kids and make them safe from other predators.
Just after they mention Harmon's made changes not only in female but in male animal also after breeding. Specially there is a bird named, Cassowary, in which male bird take care of their kids. Female after hatching eggs, just leaft the place without any information. But Harmons of male partner impacted himself that level , he even follow the process of incubation of eggs but even take care of those kids till they grown up to his height of two meter and weight of around sixty kilogram
Where Does the Cassowary Live?
If you're feeling a bit nervous about running into a cassowary, you probably have nothing to worry about. The three species of these big birds make their homes in the rainforests of Australia, New Guinea and neighboring islands. Even if you find yourself exploring these areas, you may not see one since they are often tucked away in the dense forest.
Physical Features of a Cassowary
If you've seen an ostrich or emu, then you have a general idea of the size and shape of the cassowary. It is typically three to over five-and-a-half feet in height. It's a very heavy bird, second only to the ostrich in weight. Its thick body is covered in dark feathers, but these aren't typical feathers. They are much more like long black hairs, used not for flight but for protection from the elements of the rainforest.
The cassowary is quite a bit fancier than its cousin the emu. Brilliant colors adorn the neck of this bird, from electric blue to bright red and gold. Some species also have brightly colored wattles, or flaps of skin that hang down like you'd see on a turkey.
The unique features of the cassowary don't end there. On its head we find a big curved beak and a large horn-like structure called a casque, or helmet. The function of this feature is unknown, but it creates an almost dinosaur-looking face.
The casque, or helmet of the cassowary
Cassowary Nests
The bird’s nest is constructed by the male upon fallen leaves on the ground. It is shallow but sometimes lined with leaves or grass. After the female lays her eggs in the nest, the male chases her away.
The southern cassowary is shy and solitary and will chase other cassowaries away except during the mating season. It eats fruit that has fallen to the ground and is capable of eating fruit that will poison other animals. The bird will also eat mushrooms and other fungi and small vertebrates like lizards. Despite that famous claw, it is not used to grab prey the way raptors use their talons.
Though it is true that these birds will attack humans, they seem to only do so when they’re provoked, frightened, defending eggs or chicks, or under attack themselves. Some cassowaries associate humans with food and will simply jump at a human in expectation of a meal.
The northern cassowary is known for its orange-gold or red neck and single wattle. It is built along the same lines as the southern cassowary, but is a bit smaller in height and lighter in weight with the females weighing about 128 pounds. It is only found in northern New Guinea’s coastal swamplands and lowland rainforests. Populations are also found on the islands of Waigeo, Batanta, Yapen, and Salawati. There are an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 of these birds, but like the southern cassowary, their population is declining.
Like the southern cassowary, the northern cassowary eats fruit and small animals that it can handle. It will also eat carrion, and babies eat the feces of their father and siblings. Indeed, grown birds are known to eat their own feces if they still have undigested fruit.
As its name suggests, the dwarf cassowary is the smallest species, but it is not small. Physical features include a body that’s 3 to 5 feet long and 39 to 53 inches in height. It weighs between 39 and 57 pounds. Its triangular casque is smaller than those of the northern and southern cassowaries in proportion to its body. It has a bright blue and red neck and pink cheeks. This cassowary is found in New Guinea, Yapen Island, and New Britain in higher elevations than the northern or southern cassowaries. The population of the bird is unknown, but like the northern and southern cassowaries, its conservation status is least concern.
Cassowary Diet
These birds eat fruits, berries, fungi, and other plant materials. They can eat otherwise toxic plants because food goes through their digestive system very quickly. They’ll also eat small reptiles and amphibians, rats and mice, snails and insects.
Cassowary Attacks
Cassowaries have been called “the most dangerous birds in the world” by publications such as The Guinness Book of World Records. That claim comes in part because there have been two recorded human fatalities and more than 200 incidents with cassowaries.
Overall, cassowary attacks are rare. Most have come because people tried feeding cassowaries, and most incidents involve the birds charging. However, in the event that a person falls to the ground cassowaries can be quite dangerous. Their dagger-like claws can grow up to 5 inches and cause severe wounds or even death.
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