This entry was posted on Thursday, September 25th, 2008 at 12:40 pm and is filed under F.Y.I., Nature Watching, Now that's awesome!. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
This very shy bird is from the rain forests of New Guinea and Northern Australia. The cassowary is a large, stocky bird that cannot fly. Short, heavy legs covered with horny plates and broad, very powerful feet support its large body. It has three toes with the inner toe having a very strong and sharp claw which can slice and tear. While these birds are timid, they can be very dangerous if cornered.
The feathers of the cassowary are a glossy black with a blue reflection. Its head is a beautiful blue with a red wattle. The head has a horny growth like a helmet called a casque. It is thought that this helmet is used like a shovel to rake through the leaves to find fallen fruit and possibly to protect its head as it runs through the rainforest. Some indigenous Papuans have observed it using the casque to knock fruit from small trees by ramming the trunks with it.
The cassowary can run up to 31 mph (50 kn/h).
Some information reprinted from Special Wonders of our Feathered Friends by Buddy Davis. Copyright © 2001 by Buddy Davis. For information write: New Leaf Publishing Group, P.O. Box 726, Green Forest, AR 72638 or visit our website, www.nlpg.com.
October 1st, 2008 at 9:11 pm
CASSOWARY | Backyard Bird Baths…
My tree has a family of hummingbirds in them, and they give me so much joy. I want to do them a kindness by setting up a nice bird house. Your items are priced so low I can afford a good birdfeeder for them too!…
October 1st, 2008 at 9:42 pm
CASSOWARY | Backyard Bird Baths…
I love your bird baths! They are not just functional but quite decorative too. My recently purchased bird baths are the newest attraction in my garden that birds just can’t get enough of! Great assortment of products you have….
October 1st, 2008 at 9:44 pm
CASSOWARY | Backyard Bird Baths…
I love your selection of bird baths, houses and bird feeders! They are not just functional but quite decorative too. My recently purchased bird baths are the newest attraction in my garden that birds just can’t get enough of! Great assortment of products you have….
October 1st, 2008 at 11:39 pm
CASSOWARY | Backyard Bird Baths…
My garden looks really nice with the addition of the various bird houses that I recently purchased from this site. Plus, I get a lot of feathered visitors dropping by more often now. They all look so adorable!…