Southern Cassowary

1\. The tall, horn-like casque (helmet) on the head is unique among Australian birds.

2\. Bright blue neck and head with distinctive red wattles and black body.

3\. Listen for deep booming and rumbling calls that can be felt as much as heard.

Females mate with multiple males, who then incubate the eggs and raise the striped chicks alone for 9-18 months. Breeding typically occurs during the Australian winter (June-October). Males become highly territorial while nesting. Sadly, vehicle strikes and habitat fragmentation threaten these crucial rainforest seed dispersers, particularly in areas where residential development meets rainforest.

Southern Cassowaries inhabit the dense tropical rainforests of northern Queensland, from the Daintree to the Atherton Tablelands and south to Mission Beach. Look for them on forest floors and along rainforest edges, particularly in early morning or late afternoon. They're often spotted crossing roads or foraging near rainforest tracks. Cassowaries follow regular feeding routes through their territories, so local knowledge can be invaluable. Listen for rustling in the undergrowth and deep, rumbling calls before you might see them emerge from the dense vegetation.

The Southern Cassowary has deep significance for many Aboriginal peoples of North Queensland. Known as "gunduy" by the Girramay people and by other names in different language groups, cassowaries feature prominently in Dreamtime stories and were traditionally hunted for meat, feathers, and bones used in ceremonies and tools.