One of Australia's heaviest land birds, with a dagger-like claw on each foot that can be used in defence.
Not listed
Indigenous: Australian Cassowary, Cassowary
At a glance
FamilyCassowaries and Emu
SizeSmall
RarityCommon
HabitatFound in dense tropical rainforest, where it can be seen crossing roads, or along roadsides.
Best timeMost reliable in Queensland from July to November.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Phil Gregory
Range map
Range map
131visible hotspots
8837visible records
2states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Unlikely to be confused with other species. Hatchlings are brown and strongly striped. Juvenile and Immature birds are similar to adults but browner and with an absent or developing head-plate.
Behavior
Found in dense tropical rainforest, where it can be seen crossing roads, or along roadsides.
Gallery
Regional timing
Queensland
New South Wales