Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) female Etty Bay Queensland

[Rod Warnock]

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

Thanks for viewing
Best regards
Rod Warnock

[Ofer Levy]

An impressive image of this monster Rod!!!
To be honest, I have no desire to meet one of these in the wild....

[Hilary Hann]

I would echo Ofer's comments. These are fearsome birds, I'm sure that many tourists have no idea how dangerous they can be. Good detail in the bird and I like being able to see the rhs eye lashes which are quite impressive.

[Tom Rambaut]

Great image. Walking, breathing dinosaur. Those feet can do a whole lot of damage. I've heard of people been seriously hurt by these birds.

[arash_hazeghi]

what a crazy looking bird, reminds me of the terror bird, maybe they are no extinct after all. looks like an angry ostrich on steroids :D

TFS

[Ian McHenry]

Excellent catch of this fearsome bird. Great detail. Have seen them in captivity @ Port Douglas and this was close enough for me. Although somewhat scary still a privilege to see this magnificent species. Cheers: Ian Mc

[Ken Watkins]

Rod, truly marvelous great detail and pose, I would love to see one of these but not too close

[Rod Warnock]

Thanks you all for your comments. Cassowaries suffered greatly during Cyclone Yasi (Feb 2011) both with actual deaths and major lost of habitat and food. Feeding stations were set up to supplement their diet. For example near Mission Beach and the associated rainforest areas the population has dropped from 110 individuals down to an estimated 40 individuals. The species is existing in remnant areas of rainforest and smallish National Parks so any natural disaster like Cyclone Yasi depleting their habitat is a major event. Adult Cassowaries are 5 to 6 feet tall and weigh up to 154 pounds. Actually Cassowaries while stockier and not as tall as Emus actually are Australia's heaviest native bird.
Best regards
Rod Warnock
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[gail bisson]

I saw these guys IRL at a reserve in Queensland. They are truly huge but awesome. You have exposed for the blacks very well and it is great to see the claws. I would tone down the brightness in the grass,
Gail

[Rod Warnock]

This was my first encounter with the species and I was fortunate to see a male as well. I was lucky to be able to use a 400mm lens with car as barrier but each bird while very alert and aware did not show any aggression. A sobering 1999 scientific review of 221 attacks of which 150 involved humans (one fatal) a summary of data can be seen at: http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract;jsessionid=6192DB0600E417229FF3808 D007142C5.journals?fromPage=online&aid=66857
75 % of attacks are by previously fed cassowaries hence signs warning not to feed cassowaries everywhere. Many cassowaries become road kills by speeding vehicles.
An encounter on a trail is something I would certainly not appreciate.
Thanks again for your comments
Rod Warnock