The Surprising Cassowary Size: Taller Than You Think! 2024

Last Updated on March 19, 2024 by themubbi63

The third largest birds in the world, following the ostrich and the emu, the cassowary (belonging to the genus Casuarius) is found only in the tropical forests of New Guinea, parts of northeastern Australia and the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia. Often reaching heights of over 5 feet, the females are usually bigger than the males. They’re shy birds and can live very long, upto 40 years in captivity.

Cassowary Height

Knowing that they’re the third largest birds in the world, I think we can get a vague idea of their size. Still, it might be surprising to learn that these birds can cross even 6 feet. Females are taller and more brightly colored than the males (unusual among birds). Adult females can reach a height of over 6 feet and 6 inches (around 2 meters).

Males are shorter as well as less heavy. The average adult male cassowary might range from 4 feet 11 inches to 5 feet 11 inches in height (150 – 180 cm).

Cassowary Size	Feet	Centimeters
Males	4.9 – 5.9	150 – 180 cm
Females	6.5	200 cm

Related Article: Shoebill Stork Size: Revealing Towering Heights & Contrasting Comparisons 2024

Cassowary Weight

Along with the height comes the accompanying weight. These are big, heavy birds. An adult male cassowary can weigh upto a maximum of around 121 lb (55 kg). The female cassowary, on the other hand, is not only taller but also heavier. 

While the average female weighs 130 lb (58.5 kg), it’s not unheard of to have females that weigh around 150 lb (70 kg). The record for the heaviest cassowary ever found was 187 lb (85 kg). 

We do have to keep in mind that a lot of these are rough estimates. These birds live deep in the tropical forests and haven’t been widely studied.

Cassowary	Pounds	Kilograms
Males	121	55
Females	130 – 187	58.5 – 85

Cassowary Claw and Casque Size

Cassowaries have big feet with three long toes. These toes are tipped by sharp claws that can grow to immense sizes. The claws of a cassowary can be as long as 5 (12.5 cm) inches in length.

The casque is the name given to the enlarged bones on the upper part of the head. This grows with age for the cassowary and the shape and size of it depends upon the species. However, on average, the casque can grow to 7 inches (18 cm) in height.

Related Article:Clouded Leopard Size Guide: Not Your Average Cat – Facts and Fun 2024

Cassowary Clutch Size

The reproduction process of a cassowary is fascinating. Unlike many other birds, they don’t care for the eggs and chicks equally. In fact, the female moves on after laying the eggs in the nest of a male and goes on to lay eggs in the nest of another male. She’s not concerned about the protection of the young. A standard cassowary clutch ranges from three to eight eggs. 

The eggs are large, measuring 3.5 by 5.5 inches (9 by 14 cm). They’re a pretty blue-green or bright green in color. The male cassowaries incubate the eggs and protect the chicks by themselves. Chicks stay in the nest for nine months before they move on to their own territories. Young cassowary chicks look quite different from mature cassowaries, being small and brown with beige stripes.

Cassowary Size Comparison to Humans

Cassowaries are among the few birds who can actually compare to humans in height. Given that cassowaries range from 4.9 to 6.5 feet, they’re often equivalent to or taller than the average human, who usually stand at 5.5 – 5.7 feet. 

In fact, standing on level grand, the largest female cassowaries would be taller than all but the tallest humans. 

Cassowary Vs Ostrich Size

Ostriches are the largest birds in the world (and they lay the largest eggs of any living land animal as well). It would be difficult to find many birds that would match up to this impressive species. But the cassowary comes close, even if it can’t defeat the ostrich in size or weight.

The common ostrich, which we are familiar with and which lives in the sub-Saharan African region, can reach truly awesome sizes. The males, in this case, are larger than the females, standing at a height of 6 feet 11 inches to 9 feet (210 – 275 cm). Females, meanwhile, stand at a height of 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet 3 inches (175 – 190 cm). Compared to this, the male cassowary stands at a height of 4 feet 11 inches to 5 feet 11 inches and the female cassowary at 6 feet 6 inches.

Male ostriches usually weigh between 220 and 290 lb (100 – 130 kg) while female ostriches are slightly lighter and weigh around 200 – 260 lb (90 – 120 kg). However, there have been males that weighed around 346 lb (156.8 kg) and some smaller specimens that only weighed between 131 – 179 lb (59.5 – 81.3 kg). 

Animal	Height	Weight
Cassowary	4.9 – 6.5 feet (150 – 200 cm)	121 – 187 lb (55 – 85 kg)
Ostrich	5.7 – 9 feet (175 – 275 cm)	131 – 346 lb (59.5 – 156.8 kg)

Cassowary Vs Emu Size

Emus are usually taller than cassowaries while being smaller than the ostrich. Measuring between 4.9 – 6.25 feet (150 and 190 cm) in height, emus are generally taller than the largest female cassowaries. 

However, they are much lighter than cassowaries despite their height. They’re more streamlined birds. Adult emus usually weigh between 40 and 132 lb. Of this, the male average is 69 lb (31.5 kg) and the female average is 82 lb (37 kg). Compared to this, the male cassowary average is 121 lb (55 kg) and the female average is 130 lb (58.5 kg).

Animal	Height	Weight
Cassowary	4.9 – 6.5 feet (150 – 200 cm)	121 – 187 lb (55 – 85 kg)
Emu	4.9 – 6.25 feet (150 – 190 cm)	40 – 132 lb (18 – 60 kg)

Conclusion

The cassowary may be shy, but its size and power are undeniable! These impressive birds are a unique part of the rainforest ecosystem. So next time you see a picture, remember – they’re even bigger than you think!

FAQs