Rod Warnock
11-26-2011, 12:45 AM
Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) female Etty Bay Queensland
Canon EOS 7D Lens 400mm L USM ISO800 F6.3 1/640 available light 17 July 2011
This female was one of two cassowarries encountered at Etty Bay Queensland the other was a male. I had dipped out at all other hotspots eg Mission Beach. This female didn't stay in clear view for long before vanishing into thick rainforest.
Note the heavy and strong feet which these birds use in attack and they can be very aggressive so heed take notice of warning signs that are well displayed in the Wet Tropics of Queensland. The inner claw is use as a bayonet in attack and can be very damaging. Cassowaries are an essential part of the Australian rainforest ecosystem as they consume many species of fruit and many of these fruits because of their large size can only be eaten by cassowaries in particular the Cassowary Plum the Cassowary Plum (Cerbera floribunda) while toxic to humans is not to the Cassowary. Further reading on this aspect at: http://www.skyrail.com.au/diary0808.html
(http://www.skyrail.com.au/diary0808.html)
Thanks for viewing
Best regards
Rod Warnock
Canon EOS 7D Lens 400mm L USM ISO800 F6.3 1/640 available light 17 July 2011
This female was one of two cassowarries encountered at Etty Bay Queensland the other was a male. I had dipped out at all other hotspots eg Mission Beach. This female didn't stay in clear view for long before vanishing into thick rainforest.
Note the heavy and strong feet which these birds use in attack and they can be very aggressive so heed take notice of warning signs that are well displayed in the Wet Tropics of Queensland. The inner claw is use as a bayonet in attack and can be very damaging. Cassowaries are an essential part of the Australian rainforest ecosystem as they consume many species of fruit and many of these fruits because of their large size can only be eaten by cassowaries in particular the Cassowary Plum the Cassowary Plum (Cerbera floribunda) while toxic to humans is not to the Cassowary. Further reading on this aspect at: http://www.skyrail.com.au/diary0808.html
(http://www.skyrail.com.au/diary0808.html)
Thanks for viewing
Best regards
Rod Warnock