National Conservation Zoo

Opening times today: 10am - 4pm (Last entry at 3pm)

About

The Southern cassowary has muscular legs and powerful feet, which have earned it the reputation of being one of the most dangerous birds in the world! It can kick out when threatened and use its dagger-like claws, which can sometimes have deadly consequences.

The name "cassowary" comes from a Papuan word meaning ‘horned head’. If you catch a glimpse of this prehistoric-looking bird, you'll notice it has a helmet-like feature on top of its head, known as a casque. It runs with its head down and uses the casque to help charge through thick forests and vegetation.

Its large legs also enable it to run fast, which is essential for females, as they need to be quick to chase the males during courtship. The females don't hang around either – once they’ve laid their eggs, they abandon the nest to hunt for a new partner, leaving the male to raise their chicks!

Southern cassowary at Chester Zoo

Southern cassowary facts

SPECIES
I am a bird

They lay bright green eggs to help camouflage them in the tropical rainforests.

FOUND IN
Australia, Indonesia and New Guinea
HABITAT
Lowland tropical forests

The dense rainforest habitat and the cassowary's secretive nature make these birds difficult to spot.

DIET
Omnivore

They mainly eat fallen fruit, fungi, and even snails. The seeds of digested fruit are passed in the cassowary’s poo, meaning cassowaries play an important role in seed dispersal.

BEHAVIOUR
Shy and territorial

If a southern cassowary is approached, it will generally stand its ground. If it feels threatened, the bird will stretch itself as tall as possible, ruffle its feathers, and emit a loud hiss to scare the intruder off.

AVERAGE SIZE
55 - 75kg

The third-largest bird, it can reach a height of 1.8m.

LIFE SPAN
18 - 20 years

Although, they can live up to 40 years with human care. 

ZOO LOCATION
Islands

You'll find the Southern cassowary near to House of Sumatra.

IUCN red list statusLeast Concern
Animal vulnerability index
Threats

The great green macaw is classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, with a population size believed to be fewer than 2,500 mature individuals.

The main threat to the survival of these parrots has been habitat loss. It is estimated that between 1900 and 2000, 90% of their original habitat was lost.

Threat Humans
Human intervention
Threat Hunting
Hunting or collection