Cassowaries dwell within the rainforests of Queensland. But regardless of their dimension, they don’t seem to be simple to search out, explains Steve Portugal.
There may be few extra imposing sights in nature than an grownup cassowary. Standing practically 2m tall and weighing as much as 50kg, it’s no thriller why these giant, flightless birds, present in north-eastern Australia and Papua New Guinea, have lengthy conjured up comparisons to prehistoric dinosaurs.
As a boy, I all the time dreamed of seeing one within the wild however, rising up within the Nineteen Eighties, Australia appeared unimaginably unique and much away.
The alternative for that childhood dream to grow to be actuality landed in February 2023, once I was supplied a piece journey to Australia. Finally, I had my probability to hunt cassowaries within the wild – and I jumped at it.
How many species of cassowary are there?
The magnificent title ‘cassowary’ originates from the Papuan for ‘horned’ (kasu) and ‘head’ (weri), a reference to its casque.
The species discovered within the tropical rainforests of north-eastern Queensland is the southern cassowary. It will also be present in Papua New Guinea, together with its cousin, the northern cassowary and a 3rd species, the dwarf cassowary.
Where do cassowary dwell in Australia?
The focus of my quest was the attractive – and aptly named – Mission Beach. This locality with a spectacular stretch of sand sits on the Cassowary Coast, the place it’s surrounded by the Wet Tropics forests and appears out eastwards to the Great Barrier Reef. It is the one place on the planet the place tropical rainforest collides with coral reef, and pictures of huge cassowaries foraging on idyllic seashores have grow to be synonymous with the world as a complete.
Due to habitat destruction and concrete improvement, the rainforests at Mission Beach are almost totally remoted from the broader rainforest habitat. Despite this, the world is home to one in all Australia’s largest populations of cassowaries and so they have survived on these shores for 60 million years.
So, it was there that I headed, with enthusiasm, to try to join with these charismatic feathered giants. It wouldn’t be simple. I had lower than three days, and as if monitoring down this elusive hen in such a small period of time wasn’t difficult sufficient, I’d be protecting your entire space on foot.
In addition to their spectacular dimension and weight, cassowaries possess a number of different intriguing options. They belong to a bunch known as the ratites, which incorporates their shut family members the ostriches, emus and rheas, all of that are equally famend for his or her colossal dimension.
Unlike most birds, cassowaries present a role-reversal with regards to breeding, with the males enterprise the 50-day incubation obligation and rearing the young. But maybe what they’re most well-known – or notorious – for is being, allegedly, the world’s most harmful hen.
Why are cassowary harmful?
It’s not onerous to see why cassowaries stake a declare to this doubtful honour. They are geared up with 15cm claws on their center toes, primarily used as a defence towards predators reminiscent of dingos, pythons and birds of prey, which goal young birds. They can run at speeds of 50kph, clear 2m when leaping, and ship a imply kick.
In addition, legends about their voracity abound. “How worried should I be?”, I puzzled, as I ready to roam the rainforest alone, searching for out the very creatures that the majority different people would most likely favor to keep away from?
Naturally, whether or not the cassowary deserves its repute is debatable. In Australia, most animal-related deaths are precipitated, not by cassowaries, however by horses, adopted by cows and dogs. Indeed, just one person in your entire world has been confirmed to have been killed by a wild cassowary – in 1926, a 16-year-old boy died after attacking an individual he discovered on his property. Certainly, it quickly turned clear that the residents of Mission Beach don’t dwell in worry of cassowaries. For starters, arrivals to the bus station are welcomed by a big wood cassowary, whereas umpteen retailers, roads and buildings bear the hen’s title.
What do cassowary eat?
As the first distributor of seeds in rainforests, cassowaries are a keystone species in Australia, recognized to eat as much as 238 various kinds of plant. Despite their formidable look, these are shy, reclusive birds, shunning the corporate of their very own sort in favour of a solitary life-style, and I did marvel if I used to be searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack.
Each hen defends a territory of round one sq. kilometre, confining its every day actions inside this outlined home vary. They transfer alongside common pathways between roost websites and fruiting bushes and may be very inconspicuous and onerous to identify throughout the advanced, dense habitat of a rainforest.
Local cassowary skilled Ingrid Marker gave me some recommendation on the place to hunt out the birds, and my major space of focus was a 10km path by way of the rainforest.
Day one began at 5am, and the astonishing sounds and smells I encountered when coming into the rainforest took my breath away. I used to be surrounded by kingfishers and lace monitor lizards and serenaded by the squawks of parrots and the rustle of leaf litter as rat kangaroos foraged for fungi and fruit.
But regardless of my greatest efforts and the 33,000 steps logged on my cellphone, my first foray for cassowaries yielded solely dung and prints.
Why is the southern cassowary endangered?
That night time, unable to sleep for the mosquito bites sustained throughout my hike, I mulled over a remark a neighborhood had made to me within the pub. “Your best bet is the roads,” he’d suggested. I used to be aware of the troubled relationship between cassowaries and motorists.
The two largest direct threats to the birds at Mission Beach are from vehicles (from 2001-2005, 76 per cent of the cassowary deaths recorded at Mission Beach had been resulting from highway collisions) and dogs. These risks, coupled with habitat loss and competitors over sources from a big inhabitants of feral pigs, have precipitated substantial declines within the area. Recent estimates recommend Australia’s southern inhabitants of cassowaries might have declined to simply 800-1,000 people. They take a very long time to succeed in breeding age and might dwell 50 years; each individual misplaced by way of roadkill considerably impacts the inhabitants.
With a backpack crammed with meals and water, I headed off on day two of my cassowary quest. An entire repeat of yesterday’s walk yielded exactly zero birds. But as I exited the rainforest, three hours of daylight remained, and I made the snap determination to go to Carmoo, a small property a number of kilometres away. I had seen photographs of cassowaries strutting among the many gardens of the massive homes there, and determined it’d provide my greatest probability of a sighting. The highway to Carmoo is lengthy and straight, and I gratefully accepted a carry from a passing motorist. I used to be filled with optimism, however my walk there proved as fruitless because the final.
Conflict typically arises when wildlife comes into common contact with individuals, and these birds are a living proof. On the twentieth March 2006, Cyclone Larry introduced devastation to the area. Winds reached speeds of over 300kph, and properties and constructions had been destroyed. No human fatalities had been reported, however 35 per cent of the cassowary inhabitants was killed. The survivors, with little to no shelter or meals, ventured into city areas, benefiting from meals supplied by native individuals to save lots of the birds from hunger. This supplementary feeding endured for a lot of years, and the native birds turned very accustomed to associating sure homes and folks with simple meals.
There’s little question that this reduction effort saved the inhabitants from extinction, but sure people began behaving aggressively in direction of people when meals was not offered. With battle escalating, a feeding ban was imposed, carrying the hefty penalty of a $5,000 superb.
Are cassowaries simple to search out?
With one hour left earlier than sundown, I headed to the caravan parks of South Mission Beach, a preferred hang-out for cassowaries, which solicit handouts from barbecues. A passing taxi saved me the 9km walk, and the motive force, Jane, instructed me that she often sees cassowaries in her backyard. She phoned her youngsters to see if any birds had been current, however alas, there weren’t. Jane additionally instructed me that the garbage tip at South Mission Beach was a cassowary hotspot and dropped me off there, promising to select me up later.
Another prolonged walkabout and nonetheless the birds eluded me. It was getting darkish so, after two consolatory ice lotions, I headed again to the garbage tip and dozed off on the pavement whereas ready for my carry. When Jane’s headlights roused me, I awoke to the somewhat odd view of a wallaby licking my trainers. Perhaps, given how a lot I’d been sweating, it seen me as a cellular salt-lick.
The drive again to Mission Beach was extremely insightful. Jane defined how, regardless of the fines, individuals nonetheless fed cassowaries of their gardens. A neighborhood visitor home even supplied paid pictures alternatives in its backyard, with the birds fed solely for this objective. Clearly, the message wasn’t getting by way of. More cassowary tales abounded within the pub, the place locals recounted tales from throughout the years. Not everybody appreciated the birds, nevertheless; one young man even wished they weren’t there in any respect. He discovered the rushing restrictions designed to guard the birds irritating, although admitted he largely ignored them anyway.
I awoke at 4:40am following the strangest dream, by which I used to be making cassowary sock puppets. I actually did have cassowaries on the mind. It was nonetheless darkish and too early to depart, so I sat on the seaside and watched the dawn. I reminded myself that even when I failed in my quest, Mission Beach is a magical place, and I used to be a really fortunate man to have skilled it.
Then, my cellphone pinged. It was Ingrid, the cassowary skilled, enquiring as to my success. As comfort for the truth that I hadn’t had a single sighting, she supplied to take me on one ultimate drive.
We motored alongside and, rounding a bend, joined a queue of slow-moving vehicles, many with their hazard lights blinking. My coronary heart began pounding. Ahead of us, on the aspect of the highway, was a big black object. Having been tricked already by feral pigs and black bin baggage, I attempted to not get excited. But then, the massive black object doubled in dimension as an infinite feminine cassowary stood up and raised her head. She had been feeding on wallaby roadkill.
Nothing prepares you in your first sight of a cassowary within the wild. I received out of the automobile and, preserving a protected distance, stood behind it. The splendid blues and reds that adorned her plumage had been far brighter than you may think about. Her giant eyes had been centered totally on her meal, and he or she was seemingly oblivious to the vehicles round her.
Then, with none warning, she strode throughout the highway in an impressive style and vanished effortlessly into the rainforest. The entire joyful expertise had lasted lower than three minutes, however it had come within the nick of time: one hour later, I used to be on the bus again to Cairns, a single blurry photograph on my cellphone testomony to my sighting.
The way forward for the cassowaries at Mission Beach is considerably hanging within the stability. Securing their continued existence includes fixing many advanced points, from highway design and site visitors calming measures to rainforest rehabilitation, and from feral pig management to canine administration.
Hopefully, the area people and wider authorities can come collectively to make sure the long-term survival of this iconic and charismatic species, the hen of my boyhood goals.
Where is Mission Beach?
The Australian locality of Mission Beach lies on the coronary heart of north Queensland’s Cassowary Coast, which stretches from Cairns to Cardwell. The Great Barrier Reef is lower than 40km offshore.
What are ratites?
Ratites are recognized for his or her lack of ability to fly. Unlike different birds, most ratites don’t have a keeled sternum. This anatomical construction usually varieties the anchor to which the robust muscle tissue which can be required for flight connect, and keeled sternums are current in all flying birds. Indeed, the title ratite derives from the Latin for raft, ‘ratis’, a vessel that has no keel.
While acquainted ratites reminiscent of ostriches, emus and cassowaries are flightless, one lesser-known household of ratites can fly, the South American tinamou. These tinamous weren’t ratites that rediscovered the flexibility to fly; somewhat, that they had by no means misplaced it. This has helped scientists perceive that the ancestors of this group of birds had been as soon as able to flight however subsequently misplaced the flexibility, maybe when dinosaurs turned extinct.
Our new understanding that ratites’ ancestors weren’t flightless has solved the thriller of how they turned dispersed world wide, over marine limitations. Find out extra about flightless birds.
Find out extra
Our consultants have compiled a complete information to the southern cassowary, in addition to the largest birds.
