BIRDGACHA / FIELD NOTES
Cassowaries, Emu
This catalogue groups cassowaries and the Emu together: all are large flightless birds with powerful legs and loose-looking plumage. Cassowaries have bare coloured necks and conspicuous head casques, whereas the Emu has shaggy brown feathers and a much less ornamented head. Examples include Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius), Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae), and Dwarf Cassowary (Casuarius bennetti). Cassowaries feed heavily on fallen fruit, while Emus take varied plant material and invertebrates as conditions allow. Separate the casque-bearing cassowary outline from the taller-necked, shaggy appearance of an Emu.
How to recognize Cassowaries, Emu
- Look for flightlessness, powerful legs and reduced external wings.
- Distinguish a bare coloured neck and casque from shaggy brown plumage.
- Use tropical forest versus open Australian country as an initial clue.
Where they live
The family occurs in Australia, New Guinea and nearby islands. Cassowaries mainly inhabit tropical forests, including lowland and upland environments, while Emus range through many more open Australian habitats. This contrast is central to the group: a general description of all members as rainforest birds would be misleading. Compare the region and vegetation first; forest cassowaries and open-country Emus require very different expectations during a field search.
Species accounts: Southern Cassowary · Emu · Dwarf Cassowary
Sources — natural history: Wikipedia: Cassowaries, Emu · Cornell Birds of the World: Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius), species natural history.
Classification: IOC World Bird List: family names and classification.
Some Cornell Birds of the World account sections require a subscription.
Updated 2026-11-06. Species counts follow this site's catalogue. This is an editorial summary, not an expert peer review.
Species records retain their original English, Chinese and scientific names.
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