English: Southern cassowary; Double-wattled cassowary; Australian cassowary; Two-wattled cassowary.
Region: Indonesia, New Guinea, northeastern Australia
Habitat: tropical rainforests, nearby savannah forests or mangroves stands; prefers elevations below 1100 m.
ZoologyCasuarius is a large flightless black bird. It is one of the three living species of cassowary, alongside the dwarf cassowary and the northern cassowary. It is a ratite and therefore related to the emu, ostriches, rheas and kiwis. It has stiff, bristly black plumage, a blue face and long neck, red on the cape and two red wattles measuring around ± 18 cm in length hanging down around its throat. A horn-like brown casque, measuring ± 15 cm high, sits atop the head. The bill can range from 10 to 19 cm. The three-toed feet are thick and powerful, equipped with a lethal dagger-like claw up to 12 cm on the inner toe. The plumage is sexually monomorphic, but the female is dominant and larger with a longer casque, larger bill and brighter-coloured bare parts. The juveniles have brown longitudinal striped plumage.