Casuarius unappeniculatus (Northern Cassowary)
Description: Huge, flightless, three-toed terrestrial birds with long necks and legs and a prominent casque.
The plaumge is course, glossy and black and the wings are reduced to 5-6 bare quills. The bare parts are usually bright blaue and red with brownish legs and bluish beaks and casques. The eyes are brown and the throat has a small red wattle on the base. They usually have blue on the back of the neck and head with a reddish brown patch on the back of the head, though this is sometimes absent. The bare parts on the head and neck are known to vary with their mood and females have brighter bare parts and longer casques than males.
Both sexes have only three toes, the inner one of which is armed with a 10cm long claw that can be used to kill its enemies.
Adult
Size: 120-150 cm.
Weight:
Senses: They can run at speeds of up to 50 km/h and jump 1.5 m from a standing position. They can also swim with ease, crossing rivers and lakes when needs be.
Habitat: Rain forest and swamp forest, they prefer lowlands but will live up to 500 m.
Range: They are thought to hold small year round ranges, these are defended but feeding sites overlap and are shared. Usually birds avoid one another and feed at dfiferent times.
A male defending his territory will arch his body upwards, raise his back feathers and puff out his neck as he looks at the ground, then he will make a rumbling "boo-boo-boo". This threat is also used in part of the courtship ritual and to put off predators when the bird is cornered.
Distribution: N New Guinea, Japen Island and Salawati Island.
Status: Not globally threatened. Generally scarce, though locally common. They are threatened in some areas, due to human pressure, including forest destruction.
Daily Rhythm: They are most active in the early mornings and late afternoons, they are also active on moonlit night from time to time. In the middle of the day they tend to rest, usually picking a spot in a clearing where they can sun themsleves.
Most of their day is spent searching for food and they are most often spotted when they come out into the open to drink at river sides.
Voice: The typical threat call is a rumbling sound, this is usually used to warn introuding birds that this are is occupied. They also whistle, hiss, growl, bill clap and make loud roaring sounds during fights.
During the breeding season males utter a "boo-boo-boo", this is most typical at the start of the breeding season and is usually uttered just before copulation.
The male keeps his young close by using a coughing call.
Although they have a variety of vocalizations they are though to be mostly silent outside the breeding season.
Enemies: When cornered they may fight and can kill with their powerful feet and claws, however their main defense and natural instinct is to flee. They are very shy birds that run at the first unusual sight or sound.
Prey: Mainly fallen fruit, also fungi, invertebrates and small vertebrates.
Food and Feeding: Little is known about the feeding habits, though they are thought to eat mostly fruit from the ground and only occasionally taking it from the plants. They probably have regular feeding sites with paths cleared to them, here they will probably walk about with the head held low browsing.
Fruit is usually taken in the beak and tossed upwards, allowing it to fall into the throat and be swallowed whole.
Grouping: Solitary.
Breeding: June-October. Females are polyandrous.
Females take the dominant role in the courtship procedure and if at any point she shows aggression towards the male he will retreat. The male approaches all females that come onto his range, he will dispaly to her, raising the feathers on his back, sometimes she will accept him and allow him to walk by her side, when she allows this he will eventually begin to circle her and raise the feathers on his back making, throughout, a "boo-boo-boo" sound. When the female is ready to copualte she will drop to the ground. The male will then preen her head and peck her back, sometimes stroking her side with one foot also until he finally mounts her.
The pair probably remain togehter for a few weeks while the female lays her clutch in their nest, once all the eggs have been laid she leaves the male to care for them.
Most females mate with 2-3 males each season.
Gestation: Incubation lasts about 50 days.
Litter Size:
Young Description: Juveniles are dull brown, have rudimentary casques and dull bare parts. Before juveniles are brown in colour they are striped and have a bare patch of dark skin on the fore head that will become their casque.
The eggs are grey-green to pale green and measure 139-160 x 93-105 mm.
Young are fully grown at abut 1-2 years of age and they get their typical black adult plumage at about 3 years of age.
Nest: Probably a scrape lined with leaves and grasses.
Young Care: The male incubates and raises the chicks alone, they leave his care at about 9 months of age.
Sexual Maturity:
Longevity: Probably about 12-19 years in the wild.
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