If you ever find yourself walking through the grasslands and tropical forests of New Guinea and its neighboring islands, you might have a chance at catching sight of the star of our show today, the cassowary bird.
Another thing that will stand right out with these curious birds is their wonderful size!
A mixture of their tall body, and their incredible size is what makes them so and today, we are going to take an in-depth look at the size of cassowaries.
So without further ado, let us get right into it.
Cassowary Length
Cassowaries don’t wear the crown of the second largest bird in the world for nothing, and can reach whooping heights that will have us craning our necks up to see them!
They show sexual dimorphism within most species, with the females not only being larger than the males but also more brightly and brilliantly colored.
The average height of both the male and female species of the cassowary is detailed below, have a look for yourself!
| Male Cassowaries | 5 to 6 feet | 1.5 to 1.8 meters |
| Female Cassowaries | Up to 6.6 feet | Up to 2 meters |
Of course, there are other species of cassowaries that do not have such impressive numbers for their length, like the dwarf cassowary, which measures between 4 and 5 feet (100 and 150 cm).
Generally, though, the most common species of the cassowary is the southern cassowary and they boast the aforementioned incredible numbers!
Cassowary Weight
In their weight as well, the females come up on top with a difference of 40 pounds between the male and female southern cassowaries.
They are large and robust birds with a characteristic rump in their middle section, a common feature among flightless birds.
They also have muscular thighs and legs that they use to propel themselves at extraordinary speeds.
Often called a living dinosaurs of our time, these birds leave biologists in awe with their size and strength.
Interestingly enough, they are probably the closest relative to dinosaurs that we have today, a recent study suggests. Well, just take a look at the numbers!
| Male Cassowaries Weight | Approx 121 pounds | 55 kilograms |
| Female Cassowaries Weight | Approx 167 pounds | 76 kilograms |
Enormous as they are, they are difficult to spot as they favor dense tropical forests and living in isolation.
As a result, very little is known about these birds when you compare them to their much more known cousins, emus, and ostriches.
The largest cassowary birds, though, are said to even go up to 170 pounds!
Cassowary Wingspan
Even with their enormous size, they are able to swiftly run through dense forests and foliage and escape threats with ease.
Their wedge-shaped body along with some evolutionary features in their wings enable them to ward off thorny, winey foliage and make swift journeys through their habitats. Speaking of wings, it is also necessary to take a look at their impressive wingspans when talking about bird size!
| Species | In inches | In meters |
| Cassowary Wingspan | 60 to 80 inches | 1.5 to 2 meters |
Cassowary vs Ostrich: Size Difference And Who Would Win In A Fight?
Though we have already mentioned that the cassowary comes second to ostriches in their size, it is not the only parameter to look at when we are looking for a victor.
Talking of size differences, ostriches are undoubtedly the winner with incredible height measuring up to 9 ft 2 inches and weighing up to 350 pounds!
The winner in this battle between the two biggest birds might surprise you! Though the ostrich reigns supreme in size, the deathly slice of a cassowary’s clawed feet is not something to be taken lightly.
They are termed “the most dangerous bird” for a reason, they have three-toed feet with dagger-like claws measuring in at about 5 inches!
This can easily tear through and puncture any animal, and so the cassowary takes the medal here.
Cassowary vs Human: Size Difference?
Now, of course, no size comparison matters more than with our own species. An average adult male measures in at about 5 ft 9 inches and weighs 190 pounds.
So if you were to stand beside a male cassowary, chances are both you and the bird will measure in at about the same in height and weight.
But with female cassowaries though, you might feel a little dwarfed as they average in at about 6 and a half feet!
Cassowary vs Emu: Size Difference?
Coming back to the family of flightless birds, let us now pit this bird against a similar cousin the emu!
The emu actually sits right behind the cassowary in the largest bird position! The emu is the third largest bird in the world weighing in at about 70 – 82 pounds and measuring in at an average of 70 inches.
They are huge birds, but when compared to the massive size of cassowaries, the cassowary takes the cake here.
Cassowary vs Eagle: Size Difference?
Moving away from their family for a second, let us now compare these birds to a mighty bird of prey, the bald eagle.
The bald eagle might seem meager in body length and weight, weighing in at about 14 pounds and with an average length of about 40 inches.
But when you look at their impressive wingspan, an incredible 7 feet 7 inches, so sideways this “little” bird makes the cassowary seem small!
Just from the numbers though, the cassowary emerges victorious yet again.
In Conclusion
And that was the wonderfully giant world of cassowaries.
These little-known birds have a world of curious knowledge within their dense forests, and we hope you enjoyed this tiny peek into their vast worlds. More importantly, we hope that you learned something new today!
Thank you for reading!
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