Photo: Wvbailey / CC BY 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Southern Cassowary
Casuarius casuarius
Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) — Ratites & Tinamous of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) is a member of the Casuariidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 44 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Casuariiformes
- Family Casuariidae Cassowaries, Emu
- Genus Casuarius
- Species casuarius
Where it lives
Aru Is. (southwest of New Guinea), New Guinea and eastern Cape York Pen., northeastern QLD (northeastern Australia)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 44 kg
- Diet
- Fruit-eaters
- Family
- Casuariidae
- Order
- Casuariiformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Southern Cassowary is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Behaviour
A bird of dense forest, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Southern Cassowary is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) is a species of bird in the Casuariidae family, part of the order Casuariiformes. It is found across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU Aru Is. (sw of New Guinea), New Guinea and e Cape York Pen., ne QLD (ne Australia).
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 44 kg, with a wing length of about 30.1 cm and a tail of around 40.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 380,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Southern Cassowary?
The Southern Cassowary is a very large bird that weighs around 44 kg.
Where does the Southern Cassowary live?
The Southern Cassowary is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU Aru Is. (sw of New Guinea), New Guinea and e Cape York Pen., ne QLD (ne Australia), where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Southern Cassowary belong to?
The Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) belongs to the Casuariidae family, in the order Casuariiformes.
What does the Southern Cassowary eat?
The Southern Cassowary is a frugivore — it feeds mainly on fruit.
Does the Southern Cassowary migrate?
The Southern Cassowary is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Southern Cassowary endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Southern Cassowary make?
1 real field recording of the Southern Cassowary — including its alarm call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Southern Cassowary's range?
The Southern Cassowary has a mapped global range of about 380,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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