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Southern Cassowary As a Casque and Draping Shiny Black Plumage but No Tail

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Southern Cassowary As a Casque and Draping Shiny Black Plumage but No Tail Australian Species SouthernThreatened cassowary: Casuarius casuarius2007 johnsonii Conservation status What does it look like? The cassowary is a large, colourful between Cooktown and the Paluma and flightless bird. The female is slightly Range. On Cape York, they occur in two larger than the male, weighing up to separate populations, McIlwraith and Iron 75 kilograms and growing as tall as Ranges and Shelburne Bay. 170 centimetres. It has a helmet like structure on the top of its head, known Southern cassowary as a casque and draping shiny black plumage but no tail. Its feathers differ lifestyle from other birds as the quill splits in two. The cassowary is a solitary animal and is The naked skin around its neck is brilliant mostly active at dawn and dusk. It can run blue, with two red wattles hanging from 50 kilometres per hour and jump over a the front. Each well-muscled leg has three height of two metres. toes, with the inside toe bearing a large dagger-shaped claw that can be used in The cassowary plays an important role defence. For such a large, striking bird, it in maintaining rainforest diversity. It has blends remarkably well into rainforest. been estimated that 70 to 100 species of plant depend almost entirely on the cassowary to disperse their seeds. Its short Cassowary. © Cannon/Martin Harvey Where does it live? digestive system allows it to eat the fruits Australian Government: The southern cassowary, Australia’s of poisonous plants, and seeds that are Endangered (Environment only cassowary, is found in northern so large other animals can’t swallow and disperse them. Accordingly, the cassowary Protection and Biodiversity Queensland. There are also two other is often referred to as a ‘keystone species’ Conservation Act 1999) species found in New Guinea. The southern cassowary lives mostly in dense, in seed dispersal. It prefers fallen fruit, but tropical rainforests that provide a supply will eat almost anything — from fungi to snails, flowers, fern fronds and even dead Queensland: of fruit all year round. However, it can animals. Wet Tropics population: Endangered also be found in melaleuca swamps, Cape York populations: Vulnerable mangrove forests and even on beaches. The female cassowary leaves the male to These areas are used for intermittent rear the chicks, which takes nine months (Queensland Nature Conservation food sources and as connecting or more. The chicks mature at two to three Act, 1992) habitat between rainforest areas. It is years of age and can live as long as estimated that there are fewer than 1500 50 years. cassowaries remaining in the wild. In the Wet Tropics, cassowaries are distributed PROTE C TIN G P L ac E S , P R O T E C TIN G S PE C IE S Southern cassowary Threats to the southern cassowary The cassowary is listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 as Endangered. Cassowaries were once common in far north Queensland, however the traditional feeding grounds of the cassowary, particularly the coastal lowlands, have been seriously reduced and fragmented by land clearing for agriculture, urban and other Cassowary road sign. © Kathy Howard development. Interactions with humans have Case study: The Kuranda caused the cassowary to loose its natural fear Cassowary Conservation Project of people. Approaching cars or wandering through residential areas has resulted in road This project aims to secure the local reforestation projects, and by identifying and kills being one of the major causes of adult cassowary population through an restoring high priority areas. cassowary deaths. Dog attacks affect survival integrated community-based program of rates of chicks and juveniles and feral pigs Under the coordination of the Barron River also impact the species by damaging its habitat. on-ground monitoring, habitat restoration, Catchment Management Association Inc., the reduction of threatening processes, Cyclones have damaged large areas of the project will undertake feral dog control, and capacity building of the local habitat, causing temporary food shortages. focussing on the Black Mountain Corridor. This may have placed further stresses on local community. Additionally, it will develop and trial a system populations already under threat. The project is based within and around for surveying and monitoring cassowaries, the Bunda Bundarra Wildlife Reserve in in coordination with the Queensland Parks How does it benefit from Kuranda. This area is prime cassowary and Wildlife Service. The project will also protected areas? habitat set within the Black Mountain establish a seed bank of local rainforest wildlife corridor. The Kuranda region is species — including cassowary feed trees that The cassowary has a large home range, so one of three ‘hotspot’ areas in the Wet will be used for revegetation of the site. to survive it needs large areas of rainforest habitat. Only about 20 to 25 per cent of Tropics for cassowaries. Cassowaries in The Bunda Bundarra Wildlife Reserve project former cassowary habitat remains and this is the area are under threat by dog attack site is private land that lies adjacent to the Wet increasingly being fragmented and impacted as well as habitat loss and fragmentation Tropics World Heritage Area. Reconnecting on by threatening processes. by roads. this important fragmented habitat will also About 22 per cent of remaining cassowary The project will contribute to achieving benefit a broad range of species and add to habitat in the Wet Tropics region has no key actions under the National the protected area. The landholder is seeking conservation protection; therefore there is a real Cassowary Recovery Plan including to protect the habitat through a voluntary need for protection of existing habitat. Ensuring greater control on dogs and pigs, and planting protecting and restoring cassowary conservation agreement, ensuring long term corridors between isolated forest patches will habitat in the Kuranda region by protection of this habitat for the cassowary. increase the area the cassowary has to live in, supporting existing wildlife corridor and its chances of survival. ● If you would like to make a commitment You can find out more information about protecting How you can help to protecting cassowary habitat on your private property by contacting your state TSN property, consider entering into a voluntary Coordinator, visiting www.environment.gov.au/ ● If you live in cassowary territory, particularly biodiversity/incentives/covenants.html or by in rural areas, plant cassowary food plants. conservation agreement for the property. contacting the Department of the Environment The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service ● Help the cassowary by reporting and Water Resources Community Information can provide advice about the best trees any activities you see that are likely Unit, email [email protected], or to plant or contact your local native plant to harm them or their habitat to the freecall 1800 803 772. nursery. Department of the Environment and Water Resources — Compliance and Enforcement ● Drive slowly in areas where cassowaries are known to occur. Branch. Visit www.environment.gov.au/ Reference epbc/compliance/index.html or freecall ● Retain remnant cassowary habitat on your 1800 110 395 for more information. Visit www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/ property to provide feeding grounds and threatened/ts-day/index.html corridors. ● Keep dogs restricted to a fenced yard or Contacts This fact sheet is printed on Revive Silk — an Australian on a lead, especially when cassowaries made, recycled coated stock made from 35% Australian recycled waste and 65% sustainable plantation fibre. are around. Rebecca Richardson Qld Coordinator ● Never feed cassowaries, especially on the side of the road where they might Threatened Species Network get hit by passing cars. P: (07) 3012 7574 E: [email protected] ● Let cassowaries find their own food. Visit: www.wwf.org.au/tsn If you feed them, they could come to depend on you. e Australian Government a ram of th nd WWF– sed prog Austr es Network is a community-ba alia. tened Speci The Threa.
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