Southern Cassowary

• It is regarded as the most dangerous bird in the world, with an inner claw up to 12 cm long.
• Unlike most birds, it is the male that incubates alone and raises the chicks.
• The polyandrous female mates with several males and lays in different nests.
• defensaIt is considered one of the most dangerous birds in the world because of its powerful legs and dagger-like claws.
• reproducciónIt is one of the few birds in which the male takes on the incubation and the later care of the chicks entirely, with no part played by the female.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - non-pneumatised bony skeleton, flightless bird (ratite)

Habitat & environment

Tropical rainforest of the coastal forests of New Guinea and north-eastern Australia (Queensland)

Birth weight

A large egg; no precise figure found for the chick's weight on hatching

Size at birth

Precocial, covered in brown and buff striped down, with no casque yet on hatching

Sexual maturity

2-3 years

Gestation / incubation

47-61 days, incubated by the male alone

Litter / clutch size

3 to 8 bright green eggs per clutch (though each nest's male incubates only some of them)

Lifespan in captivity

Documented record of more than 30-40 years in captivity

Sources consulted: AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Animal Diversity Web; Planet of Birds; Animalia.bio; Encyclopedia.com; Smithsonian National Zoo; JRank Articles; SDZWA Library Fact Sheet