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[Blog Post] Australian Animal Facts - The Cassowary
Aug 01, 2017
The Southern Cassowary is the third tallest and second heaviest living bird, smaller only than the Ostrich and Emu.
The name cassowary comes from two Papuan words, ‘kasu’ meaning horned and ‘weri’ meaning head, referring to the prominent casque on its head.
An adult cassowary can stand up to 1.8 metres (6’) tall.
Cassowaries are solitary birds except during courtship, egg-laying, and sometimes around ample food supplies.
The male cassowary is solely responsible for incubating the eggs and raising the young. They sit on the nest for 50 days until the eggs hatch.
The father teaches the chicks how to forage and by nine months they become independent.
There are only about 1500 cassowaries left in the wild.