The third largest of all birds in the world, and the largest native bird in Australia, the cassowary is a less-popular cousin in the flightless bird family but is still a wonder to learn about.
Very little is known about these birds generally, owing to their isolated existences, but what we do know is fascinating.
So join us today as we make a little adventure into the large and luscious world of cassowaries, and take a look at everything you need to know about their eggs.
We will look at their appearance, and their breeding and nesting patterns, make some comparisons and learn a lot along the way.
So without further ado, let us get right into it!
What Does A Cassowary Egg Look Like?
As beautiful as cassowary birds, even more so are their eggs, especially when comparing them to your average white little chicken egg.
Cassowary eggs are elliptical in shape, and sport the most wonderful jade green color as their primary shade, with hints of teal and pale blue.
This peculiar green color comes from the pigment biliverdin, which is surprisingly found in many eggshells!
In many cases, it has been noticed that tough weather and environmental conditions like heat and sunlight have a severe effect on this vibrant shade, making it duller and faded.
The eggs also often sport an assortment of speckles or spots, that cause a slightly raised texture that feels granular to touch.
Cassowary Egg Dimensions (Length, Width, Weight)
Not only are cassowary bird eggs a wonder to look at because of their curious coloration, but their size also adds to the wow factor.
Owing to how these birds are the largest birds after their cousins the ostrich and emu, they also stand in similar positions when looking at egg size!
Though it sits in the third place when you look at egg sizes worldwide, their numbers are still pretty impressive. Have a look yourself!
| Cassowary Egg Length | 5.5 inches | 14 cm |
| Cassowary Egg Width | 3.5 inches | 9 cm |
| Cassowary Egg Weight | 1.4 pounds | 650 g |
Cassowary Eggs: Breeding & Hatching
As the spring settles its score and the summer is slowly coming in to claim its place is when the cassowary bird leaves their usual solitary habits and come together to continue the circle of life.
The female lays a clutch of about 3 to 8 eggs in a nest made of twigs, leaves, branches, and so on in a slight depression on the forest floor.
The females usually do not engage in any egg-caring business, and actually move on and lay eggs in the nests of other males.
The incubation period lasts roughly 50-52 days, during which the caretaking responsibility is undertaken by the male.
After all the eggs have been laid, within a few weeks, the male starts continuous incubation.
After the chicks hatch, these wary birds are fiercely protective over the chicks and do most of the hunting themselves.
Cassowary Eggs: Can You Eat Them? How Much Are They Worth?
Though nothing about the bright green brilliance of this egg screams “edible!”, they are edible, as with most eggs.
Balut is a very popular exquisite dish well-loved in Europe for its exotic goodness, wherein a partially fertilized egg is steamed and eaten as is straight from the shell.
Though generally made with duck eggs, cassowary eggs are also used, especially in New Guinea and some parts of Australia.
As for the price of the eggs themselves, this is totally dependent on your region, the availability of this bird, how it is sourced, and so on!
On the lower side, the price can range anywhere from $10 – $20, while on the higher end, the cost can exceed $50, especially if it is a particularly dry season for the harvesters.
Comparison Between Cassowary Eggs and Emu Eggs:
It is only right we start the comparisons off with the closest cousin in size and structure when talking of eggs, the emu.
Cassowary eggs measure in at about 1.4 pounds on average, while emus sit just right about that, at a hefty 1.6 pounds!
They are also just right about cassowary eggs in length and width, at about 3.6 inches and 5.5 inches.
There have been cases where both emu and cassowary eggs weigh about the same, but when looking at specifics, emus reign supreme.
When looking at protein content though, emus actually sit below cassowaries, at only 9 percent of it constituting protein.
| Bird | Dimensions | Protein Content |
| Cassowary Eggs | 5.4 x 3.5 inches | 25 – 35 percent |
| Emu Eggs | 5.5 x 3.6 inches | 10 percent |
Comparison Between Cassowary Eggs and Ostrich Eggs:
Ostrich eggs are infamous for being the largest eggs in the world, so we are already starting this comparison off knowing our answer.
Even still, seeing the impressive numbers an ostrich egg boasts is truly incredible. An ostrich egg weighs about 1.5 kilograms, and measures 6 inches in length and 5 inches in width!
Ostriches are infamous for having one of the best and most protein-rich eggs, and half an almost 50 percent protein content.
| Bird | Dimensions | Protein Content |
| Cassowary Eggs | 5.4 x 3.5 inches | 25 – 35 percent |
| Ostrich Eggs | 6.0 x 5.0 inches | 47-50 percent |
Comparison Between Cassowary Eggs and Chicken Eggs:
Now onto the eggs, we are most familiar with, the classic, white, standard chicken egg, a breakfast staple for us humans!
The winner here is clear, it is the vibrant green shaded giant when compared to a daily sight in our mornings.
Chicken eggs measure in very measly numbers, at about only 2.5 x 1.3 inches in dimension, which compared to the hefty numbers of a cassowary egg, makes it an easy loss.
But for its tiny relative size though, it packs quite the protein content with about 7 grams of protein in one single chicken egg.
| Bird | Dimensions | Protein Content |
| Cassowary Eggs | 5.4 x 3.5 inches | 25 – 35 percent |
| Chicken Eggs | 2.5 x 1.3 | 11 percent |
In Conclusion
And that is all you need to know about cassowary bird eggs! The world of cassowaries is a truly wondrous and vast world, and we hope you enjoyed this tiny little venture into their world.
Most importantly though, we hope you learned something new about them today!
Thank you for reading!
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