Elegant in Black
Finalist
Double-wattled cassowary, taken at the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha.
This flightless bird, found naturally in New Guinea and northern Australia, is one of the largest in the world. Two of its most distinguishing features are the casque and the wattles. It is believed that the casque, the large protuberance on the top of its head, assists the cassowary in pushing through the dense tropical forest vegetation; the wattles, brilliantly colored folds of skin that hang from the bird's neck, may act as social signals in the dark forest.
Courtship is initiated by the smaller sized male and the pair may remain together for several weeks—until the female has laid her eggs in a nest that the male has constructed.
Once the female has laid her eggs, she leaves; it is the male who incubates the eggs and rears the chicks.
Information taken from the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park site
Category: Animals
Uploaded on April 01, 2008