Daily Archives: July 26, 2009

Doting Dad – The Cassowary.

Photo Source

You may have seen the program on ABC recently about “Cassowaries”. One of the interesting things about these large, flightless birds is that the male raises the chicks, which may number between 9 and 12. The Southern Cassowary is an endangered species, struggling to survive in the tropical rainforests of Queensland. It is notable for the bony projection on it’s skull, which allows it to crash through the rainforest. For more information, videos and images of the Southern Cassowary go to ARKive. More about the cassowary here: Unique Australian Animals.

What type of environment does the cassowary survive in? What abiotic and biotic factors might apply in this habitat? What ‘niche’ does this bird occupy? What structural, functional and behavioural adaptations allows the cassowary to survive in this habitat? What technology was used in this documentary to track, observe and record the distribution of cassowaries?