3.Cassowaries:

Total Number of Species in Family: 3


3 Species for which Mangoverde has photos:

Common Name                            Scientific Name
a. Southern Cassowary           Casuarius casuarius
b. Dwarf Cassowary                Casuarius bennetti
c. Northern Cassowary           Casuarius unappendiculatus


a. Southern Cassowary
Southern Cassowary Casuarius casuarius
Described by: Linnaeus (1758)
Alternate common name(s): Double-wattled Cassowary, Two-wattled Cassowary, Australian Cassowary

Range
Moluccas; S. and e. New Guinea; Ne. Australia;
Three main populations and fragmented island populations over 397,000 km2;
(1) Moluccas (Seram Is. where probably introduced from Aru Is.?).
(2) Ne. Australia where there are two or possibly three isolated populations: n. population on the e. Cape York Peninsula, Queensland from Coen n. to Shelburne Bay then inland to the Upper Wenlock River, Iron Range, Batavia, Pascoe River, Claudie, Lockhart, Hayes, Nesbitt, Rocky and Masset Reservations. This population may be divided at Cape Grenville. S. population from Cooktown s. to Cairns, Mission Beach, Townsville (Cardwell) and inland to Einasleigh, Mt. Garnet, upper Gilbert River, Burdekin River and the Herberton Range. Also occurs or formerly occurred on Hinchinbrook Is.
(3) Aru Is.
(4) Islands near Trangan Is.
(5) Trangan Is.
(6) Wokan Is.
(7) Coastal s. New Guinea as high as 800m near Lake Kutubu, Southern Highlands Province and 1100m in Karimui basin, Chimbu Province.
(8) Sw. New Guinea.
(9) Islands in Geelvink Bay.
(10) Islands in Geelvink Bay.
(11) Islands in Geelvink Bay.
(12) Coastal n. New Guinea w. to the Nankina River in Madang Province near border with Morobe Province.

b. Dwarf Cassowary Casuarius bennetti

Described by: Gould (1857)
Alternate common name(s): Little Cassowary, Bennett's Cassowary, Mountain Cassowary, Westerman's Cassowary, Milne Edward's Cassowary

Range
Moluccas; New Guinea n. of main mountain range; Bismarck Archipelago
Three main populations with scattered, fragmented distribution;
(1) New Britain (introduced?).
(2) Nw. New Guinea (w. side of Geelvink Bay, West Irian).
(3) Yapen Is. (May have been introduced, but probably occurs naturally).
(4) Nc. New Guinea (Nassau Mountains).
(5) Ne. New Guinea (Huon Peninsula).
(6) Se. New Guinea (Discovery Bay).
(7) Se. New Guinea (Aroa River).
(8) New Guinea (Kratke Mountains and most of Wahgi Valley);


c. Northern Cassowary Casuarius unappendiculatus
Described by: Blyth (1860)
Alternate common name(s): Single-wattled Cassowary, One-wattled Cassowary
Old scientific name(s): None known by website authors

Range
W. to nc. or ne. New Guinea;
(1) W. Papuan Is. (Salawati, Batanta, Misool Is.).
(2) W. New Guinea (w. Vogelkop, Irian Jaya or Papua).
(3) N. New Guinea (Sepik River where young birds are often kept as pets in captivity).
(4) Yapen Is.
(5) N. New Guinea.
(6) Ne. New Guinea e. to the Ramu River and Astrolabe Bay, Madang Province, Papua New Guinea.
(7) Bismarck Archipelago (New Britain)?