Cassowary
Double - wattled

Females lay three to five eggs and leaves the male to tend to them and the young.

Order: Casuariiformes     Family: Casuariidae    Genus & Species: Casuarius casuarius

The cassowary is a flightless bird, but the massive legs enable it to rush across the forest floor, kill prey and act as formidable defensive weapons.

Habitat
The double wattled cassowary inhabits rainforests in areas that still remain relatively free from human disturbance.  In New Guinea, it occurs at altitudes of up to 500m, occupying a central niche between the habitats of the two other species of cassowary, which inhabit lowland swamp forest and montane forest respectively.  It is the only species found in Australia, where, despite its great size and strength, it likes to keep to thick cover in dark rainforest. It lives at any altitude as there is no competition with other cassowaries.  Forest destruction forces it to search for new homes but, if left undisturbed, it willl remain in the same patch for many years
.  		            The cassowary keeps to thick cover
 They create paths through the vegetation Behaviour
The cassowary lives a solitary life.  Being a very shy bird, it prefers the densest areas of the forest.  It normally rests in the middle of the day and is most active on moonlit nights, early mornings and late afternoons. If the cassowary feels threatened, or is cornered, it may attack.  It usually prefers to run into thick cover.  When attacking, it ruffles up its plumage so as to appear larger, points its bill to the ground and rushes forward at a sprint, lashing out with its sharp claws.                       

Breeding
The double wattled cassowary tends to breed when forest  fruits are most plentiful, which is during the June to October dry season.  The job of rearing the young is left to the male, which occupies a large, clearly defined territory of 1 to 5 sq km.  The female seeks out a male and approaches his territory.  On the defensive, he is hesitant at first, but then raises the feathers on his back and moves up to her circling, puffing out his throat and making a rumbling call.  After mating the males makes a hollow in the ground and lines it with vegetation.  The female lays 3-5 eggs, which hatch after about 50 days incubation.  She then leaves the male to rear the young and she mates with one or two more males.  The chicks can walk and feed themselves within hours but stay close to the parent  for safety.
          Chicks are striped at first
The male can be very aggressive when guarding young
What they eat
The double wattled cassowary feeds mainly on fruit, so a year round supply is vital.   Most of the fruit it consumes grows on the middle or upper canopy of the forest, so it must wait for it to ripen and fall to the ground.  At least 75 different species of fruit have been identified in its diet in Queensland.  Its considerable size means that it burns a large amount of energy, so it supplements its sugar rich diet with fungi, insects and snails, small mammals, birds, and even carrion.  It catches and kills its prey with its huge feet.

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