Table of Contents
Fast Facts
Read Next
Quizzes
Animals & Nature
cassowary
bird
Feedback
Thank you for your feedback
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
Category:
Animals & Nature
- Related Topics:
- flightless bird ratite northern cassowary dwarf cassowary common cassowary
cassowary, (genus Casuarius), any of several species of large flightless birds of the Australo-Papuan region. Cassowaries are the only members of the family Casuariidae and belong to the order Casuariiformes, which also includes the emu. There are three species (counted by some experts as six), each with several races. The common, or southern, cassowary, Casuarius casuarius, which inhabits New Guinea, nearby islands, and Australia, is the largest—almost 1.5 metres (5 feet) tall—and has two long red wattles on the throat. The dwarf cassowary (C. bennetti) is native to higher elevations of New Guinea and can also be found on the ...(100 of 248 words)