Photo by Robert South<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n
It has been awhile since we have completed a fact about one of our flying friends so I am dedicating Wild Fact #827 to the Double Wattled Cassowary.\u00a0 I guess a post about our “flying” friends will have to wait as the Cassowary is a large flightless bird that is native to the rainforest’s of New Guinea and some of the Australian islands.\u00a0 What can I say?\u00a0 It is just one more reason to visit the rainforest’s of New Guinea and Australia.<\/p>\n
The double wattled cassowary is one of the largest birds in the world.\u00a0 Only the ostrich and emu are larger than this funny looking bird.\u00a0\u00a0 You have probably noticed that the feathers contrast greatly with the brightly coloured head and throat.\u00a0 The coarse, black feathers\u00a0 are adapted to handling the thick brush of the rainforest. It acts as a thick coat to protect the bird from being punctured while running full tilt through the bush.<\/p>\n
Another adaptation that some researchers figure help the cassowary run through the bush is that funny looking thing on the top of their head, called a “casque”.\u00a0 This is in fact a spongy foam-like substance covered with a keratinous (remember that keratin is the same thing your fingernails are made of) material.\u00a0 This spongy horn has actually caused some debate amongst scientists.\u00a0 Really, what else do they have to do but argue with each other.\u00a0 Some researchers believe this horn is for pushing the underbrush away as this flightless bird runs with its head down.\u00a0 Other possible uses for this “horn” include a weapon for dominance battles, a tool for moving leaf litter while foraging or as an attractant for mating. The final guess is that the cassowary uses this to amplify their call.\u00a0 You see this unique bird makes the lowest bird call known and is barely within human hearing range.\u00a0 It is possible that this appendage acts as an amplifier for those low sounds.\u00a0 We may never know exactly what they use this for but it sure gives this bird a very distinctive look. I don’t know many animals that can pull off the Mohawk but I think the Double Wattled Cassowary is one of the few that can do it.<\/p>\n
Well I guess that will be all of the Wild Facts written from my hotel room in Vancouver.\u00a0 I am flying back into Whitehorse later this afternoon.\u00a0 Unlike our flightless bird, I am actually able to fly wherever I choose.\u00a0 Talk to all of you tomorrow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It has been awhile since we have completed a fact about one of our flying friends so I am dedicating Wild Fact #827 to the Double Wattled Cassowary.\u00a0 I guess a post about our “flying” friends will have to wait as the Cassowary is a large flightless bird that is native to the rainforest’s of New Guinea and some of the Australian islands.\u00a0 What can I say?\u00a0 It is just one more reason to visit the rainforest’s of New Guinea and Australia. The double wattled cassowary is one of the largest birds in the world.\u00a0 Only the ostrich and emu <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2350,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4024],"tags":[348,742,740,743,739,4124,4025],"yoast_head":"\n
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<\/a>