Northern Cassowary

Overview

The Northern Cassowary is one of three cassowary species, all large, flightless ratites restricted to New Guinea and nearby regions and northern Australia. It is covered in coarse, hair-like black plumage and has a mostly bare head and neck colored blue with red patches, along with a single hanging throat wattle and a tall, blade-like bony casque atop the head. It inhabits lowland and hill rainforest of northern New Guinea, moving quietly through dense understory as it forages for fallen fruit.

Feather Identification

• Body feathers: Coarse and hair-like, with a double shaft (rachis) per feather and no interlocking barbules, giving the plumage a shaggy, fur-like texture rather than a typical smooth feathered look.
• Color: Overall glossy black; the feathers provide no lift, consistent with the species' flightlessness.
• Head and neck: Largely bare, colored blue with red patches, with a single throat wattle hanging below the neck.
• Casque: A tall, blade-like bony structure tops the head.
• Versus similar cassowaries: The Dwarf Cassowary has a lower casque and no wattle, while the Southern Cassowary has two wattles rather than one.

Plumage Notes

Sexes are similar in color, though females average larger. Juveniles are patterned with brown and buff stripes for camouflage, gradually molting into solid black adult plumage over one to several years, with the casque and wattle developing with age.

Habitat & Range

The Northern Cassowary is restricted to lowland and hill rainforest of northern New Guinea and some nearby islands. It is a shy, largely solitary forest-floor dweller and is non-migratory.

Behavior & Field Notes

Northern Cassowaries forage on the forest floor mainly for fallen fruit, moving quietly through dense understory. They are capable of powerful kicks with strong clawed feet when threatened, and are generally solitary except during breeding, when males alone incubate the eggs and raise the chicks. Calls are deep, low-frequency booming and rumbling notes that carry through dense forest.