Cassowary for Sale

(Casuarius)

The Cassowary is one of only five of their kind alive today along with the Emu, Kiwi, Ostrich, and Rheu. They are among the largest birds in the world and are classified as ratites, birds that do not fly and do not have a keel on their sternum bone. They can be found in the tropical forest of New Guinea, Indonesia, and North East Australia where they are native. Cassowary birds eat plants and animals, but their preferred diet is mainly fruit. They are shy birds but when threatened can assault perpetrators pretty badly, even lethally.

It is believed that the Cassowary's wedge-shaped body and bone structure are adaptations to their environment, allowing them to run quickly and avoid being hurt by thorny and sharp-leafed plants and vines in their natural habitat. For protection, they have 3 toed feet with a very sharp claw on each second toe up to 5 inches long and as sharp as a dagger. As you may be already aware, their main protective action is to kick aggressors. Being kicked by this species' powerful legs can severely damage an approaching person or animal, especially if its claw makes contact as well. They also run and swim! Regular tri-athletes, they are.

Social Behaviors

In nature, Cassowaries are shy and stay away from humans. They stick mainly to deep parts of the forest and are hard to find. They are also this way among their own kind, solitary and isolated unless they are in courtship with another, laying eggs, or when there is an abundant food supply for all the birds.

Mating is quite the show, beginning with vibrating noises the female projects to let the male population know she's looking. She'll have several male mates in her life, but bonds and lives with this one group. As you can imagine, both the male but especially the female, are territorial. The living quarters of a female expand to each territory of her male mates, and a male's territory only spans to hers. Females are not as tolerant as other females as males are of other males. Males approaching a calling female will run toward her with exaggerated neck movements and crouch upon the ground around her. She will choose to attack him or step upon his back before crouching beside him in acceptance of his offer.

This bird's breeding season is in June when a female will begin laying eggs for all her male mates who will incubate them and then care for them their first nine months in their large nests made of leaf. Their eggs are laid three to eight at one sitting and 9-13 cm in diameter in beautiful colors of bright green or pale green-blue.

Cassowary Rarity

Of its former population in Australia, only 20-25% of these big birds remain. The largest threats are loss of habitat, motor vehicles and attacks by dogs. Other risks are posed as well such as wild pigs, competition for food, and natural disasters. They are on the endangered species list.

What do Cassowaries Eat

Where they are native, the young can be captured and brought up in tiny spaces only as large as they are, but they are usually released when they grow too large and assault someone. Because of their territorial and aggressive behavior, it's extremely important to recreate their habitat, the rainforest, and satisfy their territorial instincts. Being solitary by nature, they will not co-habitat well under any circumstance and will not reproduce as well as other birds of the ratite family. They are also of the most dangerous animals in captivity, posing a threat as dangerous as the big cats do.

Their diet is mostly fruit, but hundreds of other plants and fungi have been examined in the Cassowary diet. They will also eat small animals, flowers, and snails. They provide a very important role in the rainforest because their excrement spreads the seeds of what they've eaten to grow for miles and miles. They are 94% responsible for the germination of Ryparosa, a rare Australian tree.