Cassowary Bird

It is a large flightless bird that is only found in New Guinea and north Queensland in Australia.

It's one of the things that all travellers want to see.. and like with any birds and animals, you either have to have some good luck - or, know exactly where to go (I will tell you below).

They are found in the tropical rainforests in north Queensland, which are mostly found along the eastern coast between Townsville and the tip of Cape York.




* It is a ratite - a flightless bird related to emu.

* Like in other ratites, the male is taking care of the chicks - something that is unusual in the bird world (most often the female does).

* It is up to about 175cm tall.

* Females have larger casques and feet.

* The colour of the wattle changes with moods.

* the species is endangered.



It is one vital link in our tropical rainforest ecosystem.

It is the only creature spreading the seeds of some of our large rainforest trees.

If we lost the cassowary bird, it would be an unimaginable change to the rainforests.




If you are on a short visit, haven't got your own transport, and don't care if you see it in the wild or not, your safest place is a zoo park.

Most of them have them here, and I took the following photo at the Wildlife Habitat Sanctuary in Port Douglas.


But you can see one in the wild, if you get around a bit. If you haven't got your own transport, rent a car or join a tour...

This is my first ever cassowary bird encounter, and it crossed the road in front of me when I was driving through Daintree National Park about 10 years ago. I stopped the car and got the photo before it disappeared to the bush.


Here is another one in Daintree, it was a wild cassowary bird that visited the Lync Haven in Cape Tribulation where I stayed on one of my trips.


Sometimes you don't see them from so close.. here is one crossing the road in front of my car in Iron Range National Park in Cape York, on my way to Chili Beach, not far from Portland Roads. 


But all those encounters have been one-offs - mainly good luck but nothing guaranteed - you can visit the same areas and unless you have some good luck it's not so sure you see one.. - while for me, the better cassowary bird areas have actually been further south!


Here is one that crossed the Bruce Highway north of Cardwell and went to a camping ground, probably used to get some food here.. It was a brave one, while I don't feel confident at all to let them too close to me - they can be aggressive and unpredictable.


According to the tourism brochures, probably the best place in Australia to see the cassowary bird is Mission Beach. I have seen none there. But then again, it's all about being in the right place at the right time...


Instead - the top place where I have found a lot of cassowaries is Innisfail! Here is one walking along the roadside in Morilyan Harbour...


.. and particularly in Etty Bay - I once saw at least four wild cassowaries walking in different places near the beach here!


This has been the top cassowary spot that I have experienced.


You can tell that people sometimes feed them - they check out your hands...

*NOTE* It is dangerous to go close to cassowaries. They are unpredictable animals, and they definitely have got casques and claws to rip anyone in pieces if they wanted.

This one approached me, I never approach a cassowary bird.

And even when they appraoch me, I always feel a bit nervous.

They can be aggressive, and the reason for it is that people have been feeding them.



Feeding cassowaries - and any birds or any wildlife is NOT good for them!

It is an old bad habit from the days when we didn't know better.

But now we do.

1. It makes them sick

The most simple reason is that what we feed them is simply not their natural food and not good for them.

I know it feels like you are doing a good thing.. but in fact you are NOT - they do get sick it's just that you don't see it.

2. It makes them aggressive

Feeding any wild animals makes them brave and aggressive. They soon start taking it for granted and approaching people expecting to get fed.

This does not seem like a big problem until it attacks your kids, pets or yourself.

3. It brings them out to the roads where they risk to get run over

They come out of the forest to the roads because they have been fed along the roads - but they risk to get run over.   

When cassowaries get killed it affects our rainforests.

Cassowaries are an extremely important link in the rainforest ecosystem, being the only spreaders of the seeds of our large rainforest trees.

4. It puts the rainforest ecosystem out of balance

Wild animal and bird populations are kept under control by availability of food.

They are part of an ecosystem that gets out of balance when food availability is changed.

When numbers of one species in a food chain change, it affects all the others.
 
By not feeding them you help to keep our tropical rainforest ecosystem in balance.

5. Feeding them is now actually ILLEGAL

.. which means if right people see it you will get fined.





 

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