World Cassowary Day and History | About Cassowary Bird and its Characteristics

World Cassowary Day is celebrated annually on September 26^th. This day raises awareness about Cassowary Conservation. This day encourages people for cassowaries conservation efforts, about cassowary bird habitat protection, and promote sustainable coexistence with cassowaries in their natural environments. It also highlights the unique characteristics of cassowary bird and its significance to biodiversity. They are known as “keystone ecological species” because they play a crucial role in maintaining rainforests’ health by dispersing seeds from various plants and trees.

The cassowary bird is a large, flightless bird native to the tropical forests of northern Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands. There are three species of this: the Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius), the Northern Cassowary (Casuarius unappendiculatus), and the Dwarf Cassowary (Casuarius bennetti).

History of World Cassowary Day

World Cassowary Day was first celebrated in 2014. This day was initiated by Kuranda conservationist Paul Webster and wildlife organizations in Australia. The purpose of this day was to raise global awareness about cassowaries and their critical role in rainforest ecosystems. Paul Webster is a well-known conservationist from Kuranda, Australia. He has dedicated much of his life to protecting cassowaries and their habitat.

Cassowary at Lahore Zoo 

Characteristics of Cassowary Bird

Cassowaries are large, horned head, and flightless birds. They belong to the genus Casuarius,  family Casuariidae, and the order Casuariiformes, including the emu. They are largest almost 1.5 metres (5 feet) tall.

Generally, they have black body as adults and brownish in immature birds. They have black, coarse, and shiny feathers, which provide excellent camouflage in their dense rainforest habitats. Their neck and head are brightly colored with a mix of blue, red, and purple, which varies slightly by species. They have strong legs which help the cassowary run up to 31 miles per hour (50 kilometers per hour) through the dense forest underbrush.

World Vulture Day

Moreover, they are considered the most dangerous birds in the world. They have three toes on each foot. Each foot has a dagger-like claw on the inner toe that is up to 4 inches (10 centimeters) long. Therefore, they can deliver serious or even fatal injuries to any predator or potential threat with a single swift kick.

Seed Disperser

They are frugivorous, meaning their diet primarily consists of fruits. However, they are opportunistic feeders and will also consume small animals, fungi, insects, and even carrion when necessary. They play a vital role as seed dispersers for many rainforest plants. Because the seeds are often defecated intact and can germinate more effectively after passing through their digestive system, contributing to the regeneration of the rainforest. In addition, their digestive system is specially adapted to neutralize certain toxins that might otherwise harm other species.

About Cassowary Bird Wattle and Casque

Among other characteristics of cassowary are wattles and casque. Two cassowary species have wattles or long folds of unfeathered skin that hang from the neck. Southern Cassowary has two long red wattles on the throat, while Northern Cassowary has single wattle on the throat. However, the color of the wattles may vary depending on the species. Although, the exact function of these wattles is not fully understood. Their functions may include visual communication, sexual selection, and possibly thermoregulation.

Interesting Facts about Ostrich

They are heaviest birds in Australia and the second heaviest in the world after the ostrich. One of the most distinguishing characteristics of Cassowary is the helmet-like casque on top of their head. The function of the casque has attracted considerable curiosity and speculation for nearly 200 years, yet its purpose remains unclear. The casque may used as a protective structure for moving at high speed in dense rainforests and during fights with other animals. However, a recent study suggests that casque acts as a thermal radiator, offloading heat at high temperatures and restricting heat loss at low temperatures.

If we talk about Cassowary Bird reproduction, the female cassowary lays three to six green eggs, each of which is about 13 cm. On the other hand, male cassowary incubates those for about 50 days in a leafy nest on the ground and may provide most of the early care of the striped young. These were interesting facts about cassowary bird and characteristics of cassowary.

About Cassowary Conservation

If we talk about Cassowary Bird Importance, Cassowaries play a crucial role in the health of rainforest ecosystems due to their role in seed dispersal. Therefore, it is necessary to conserve these beautiful birds. The southern cassowary is endangered in Queensland and listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. They face many threats such as habitat loss, deforestation, road accidents, and climate change.

About Migratory Birds 

Many organizations are working on cassowary conservation. These include Cassowary Conservation or C4 Community for coastal and cassowary conservation, Cassowary Recovery Team, Rainforest Rescue, and Cassowary Conservancy. As well as, Kuranda Conservation a conservation organization is also working about cassowary bird conservation. Kuranda Conservation Community Nursery Inc (KCons) is a volunteer-staffed nursery to protect the local cassowary population. World Cassowary Day is also among the conservation efforts.

Editor In Chief

Dr. Jassar Aftab is a qualified Veterinarian having expertise in veterinary communication. He is a renowned veterinary Journalist of Pakistan. He is veterinary columnist, veterinary writer and veterinary analyst. He is the author of three books. He has written a number of articles and columns on different topics related to livestock, dairy, poultry, wildlife, fisheries, food security and different aspects of animal sciences and veterinary education.

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