Australian Flightless Bird

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The cassowary is the only flightless bird that is native to Australia. They make their homes in the northeastern part of the country as well as New Guinea and the Aru Islands. It can grow to be more than six feet rall and weighs in at nearly 190 pounds. The cassowary can be seen at the Daintree National Park, Paluma Range National Park, McIlwraith Range National Park, and the Jardin River National Park. Their diets consist of mostly fruit. Cassowaries have a reputation of being "the most dangerous birds in the world." This is because they have razor-sharp talons they use to protect themselves from dogs and humans who get too close to their territory. Due to the fact that the cassowaries have coarse feathers, they are hunted and raised for their feathers. They are the most powerful birds of prey. The females mate with two or three males in a season. It is the male bird that raises the chicks and is particularly dangerous guarding over them. Cassowaries are very vocal with sounds like hisses, rumbles, and roars.