Cassowaries: Rainforest Royalty with Attitude
- Gregory Andrews
- Jul 4
- 2 min read
Cassowaries aren’t just the most spectacular bird in the Australian rainforest - they’re also one of the most misunderstood, most important, and (let’s be honest) most terrifying if you’re a tradie with a shiny ute.
Let’s break it down. It's #FloraAndFaunaFriday:
Some people reckon the helmet-like casque on a cassowary’s head acts like a bike helmet, helping them crash through thick rainforest without banging their heads. Makes sense - they’re basically living bulldozers with feathers. But scientists tell me that it's more likely to be an sonic device that helps them navigate and communicate with each other.
Cassowaries are called the gardeners of the rainforest. That's because they're essential to rainforest health. Over 100 native plants need to pass through a cassowary’s gut before they can germinate. Without cassowaries, the forest wouldn’t just be poorer - it would fall apart.
And yes, they’ve got a vicious big toe claw, like a mini velociraptor. I once saw a cassowary trash a tradie’s ute in Mission Beach. No joke - check out this video of it scratching the door panel and then strutting off like it owned the place (because it kind of does).
My mate Paul Webster - aka Cassowary Man - once fired a toy cassowary into space to celebrate the very first World Cassowary Day. Yes, that’s a real thing. I’ve been twice. Highly recommend.
There may be fewer than 4,000 cassowaries left in the wild. Let’s protect them - and the forests that depend on them. That means ending their habitat destruction, tackling climate change, slowing down for them on the roads, and keeping vicious dogs out of their habitat. 🖤
Love these feisty birds. Many cassowaries are endangered by the rampant destruction of Papua's rainforests for palm oil, timber and gold mining. All of it taking place without the consent of Papua's ancestral owners the many indigenous peoples who have taken care of the land for 1000's of years. BoycottPalmOil and Boycott4WIldlife when you shop to save Papuan forests for cassowaries, cuscus, dendrolagus and the countless insects, reptiles, birds and other non-human beings. More info about these animals please check out palmoildetectives dot com.
Now we know who Cassowary Man is. His comment was not very supportive a while ago - I was disappointed. Perhaps it was "tongue in cheek"
Another misunderstood bird is the Australian Brush Turkey, which is being driven south by increased warming. We've had a turkey mound in our back garden for the past four years, started by the male (we call him 'Bruce') when he was a young, 'learner'. In his first breeding season he totally re-landscaped the back garden, even dragging debris from the front garden to build his mound. Each breeding season has been less destructive, fortunately. Brush Turkeys are fascinating birds to observe - if you can allow them some space to build their mounds - and it's a pity more people can't enjoy them.