A Close Encounter with the “Murderbird” Cassowary

Locals call the cassowary the “murderbird”, and seeing one might remind you of something that escaped from Jurassic Park. These animals are the “most dangerous birds” in the world, so it’s best to keep your distance. But for one unlucky tourist, a curious cassowary got a little too close for comfort!

What Is a Cassowary?

Cassowaries are massive flightless birds, second only to ostriches in weight. Standing up to 6 feet tall, they can weigh up to 160 pounds! Instead of flight feathers, they have unique, hair-like feathers that protect their skin and keep them dry. They are mostly black but have brightly colored red and blue necks and a distinctive helmet-like crest on their heads.

Where Do Cassowaries Live?

There are three species of cassowaries. The smallest is the dwarf cassowary (Casuarius bennetti), which lives in the high rainforests of New Guinea. The northern cassowary Casuarius unappendiculatus) also lives in New Guinea, but in coastal swamps and along the coast. The largest and most well-known is the southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius), which is found in New Guinea and the northern part of Queensland, Australia.

Shy Buy Dangerous

Cassowaries may look like fierce dinosaurs, but they are actually very shy animals. They also live in dense rainforests, so it’s hard to observe them. With their very strong legs, they can run through the rainforest at speeds of around 30 mph. They are also surprisingly good swimmers and can jump 7 feet up into the air.

Cassowaries are not social animals; they usually live alone for most of the year. The only time they gather together is during the breeding season. However, after the female legs her eggs, she abandons her male partner, who stays to protect and raise their baby chicks. Males incubate the eggs for 60 days and stay with their young chicks until they are around 9 to 10 months old.

Although cassowaries are shy and elusive, they can become aggressive and protective during the breeding season. Southern cassowaries are especially known for their aggression and have even attacked humans who get too close to their nests. Not only can they run faster than a human, but they can kick with extraordinary power, and each inner toe has a sharp 4-inch long claw-like a dagger. In fact, the cassowary is one of the few birds known to have killed humans, with at least two recorded deaths in 1926 and 2019. However, in both cases, the humans got too close to the bird, which was likely defending itself or its nest.

Coming Face-to-Face with a Cassowary

This YouTube video shows a tourist filming a cassowary on the beach. Luckily for the tourist, the large bird seemed more interested in the camera than in attacking.

If you ever encounter a cassowary in person, remember the tourist’s experience: stay calm and back away slowly. Try to keep something between you and the bird, like a bag or even your camera. If possible, try to find a tree or something else to stand behind for protection.

The cassowary in the video was probably just curious, although it might have even been fed by people before (which is illegal). Thankfully, the bird wasn’t very aggressive. However, it’s important to know that they can be very dangerous, especially during their breeding season from June to October.