Southern Cassowary head

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The southern cassowary, also known as double-wattled cassowary or Australian cassowary, is a large flightless black bird native to the southern regions of Australia and New Guinea. It belongs to the ratite family, which includes emus, ostriches, and kiwis. Cassowaries have been extensively studied, but their taxonomy remains complex due to individual variations, age-related differences, and limited availability of specimens. Several subspecies have been identified, but most authorities consider them to be monotypic, with some researchers questioning the validity of these classifications. This is partly because local populations have traded live cassowaries for centuries, leading to potential hybridization and genetic exchange between different regions. Cassowaries are closely related to kiwis, with both families diverging from a common ancestor approximately 40 million years ago. The binomial name Casuarius casuarius originates from the Malay name kesuari. Carl Linnaeus first described the southern cassowary in his 18th century work Systema Naturae as Struthio casuarius, based on a specimen from Seram. The southern cassowary has undergone numerous scientific reclassifications over the years, resulting in multiple taxonomic synonyms for the species. It is characterized by its stiff black plumage, blue face and neck, red nape, and two large red wattles that hang around its throat. A distinctive horn-like casque sits atop its head, while its bill ranges from 9.8 to 19 cm in length. The southern cassowary's three-toed feet are thick and powerful, equipped with a lethal dagger-like claw on the inner toe that can reach up to 12 cm in length. Males and females exhibit similar plumage patterns, but females are generally larger, with longer casques, bills, and brighter-colored bare parts. Young cassowaries have brown longitudinal striped plumage. As the largest member of the cassowary family, the southern cassowary is also one of the heaviest birds on earth, reaching a maximum weight of 85 kg and a height of 190 cm. On average, adults range from 127 to 170 cm in length, with females weighing around 58.5 kg and males averaging 29 to 34 kg. The species is technically the largest Asian bird and the largest Australian bird, although emus may be slightly taller. Individuals can vary significantly in weight, ranging from 17 to 70 kg. Most adult birds weigh between these two extremes.