Facts about the Cassowary

Welcome to another episode of Natural World Facts! This fact file is all about the Cassowary in the series Birds - Enjoy :) The cassowary is a large species of flightless bird found in the dense tropical forests of New Guinea and parts of north-eastern Australia. The cassowary is closely related to emus and ostriches, and is the third tallest and second heaviest bird in the world behind these two. As they have lost the ability to fly, these birds have instead developed the need to run up to speeds of over 30mph. The cassowary also has large, sharp claws to defend itself from danger. The most distinctive features of the cassowary are it's large body size, brightly coloured feathers and the crest on the top of the it's head. It is thought that this crest of cassowary is used for courtship or fighting. The cassowary is an omnivore, feeding on a wide variety of both plants and animals. Cassowaries mainly feed on fruits that have fallen to the ground, along with leaves, grasses, seeds, insects and other invertebrates. The cassowary is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN red-list of threatened species, due to habitat loss and the introduction of predators. Subscribe for more videos! Leave a suggestion in the comments for what animal you would like to learn about next. OUR WEBSITE: http://goo.gl/Ngj5V6