Northern Cassowary
Casuarius unappendiculatus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCasuariiformes (Cassowaries and Emus)
- FamilyCasuariidae (Cassowaries and Emus)
- GenusCasuarius (Cassowaries)
- SpeciesCasuarius unappendiculatus (Northern Cassowary)
About the Northern Cassowary
The northern cassowary (Casuarius unappendiculatus), also known as the one-wattled cassowary, single-wattled cassowary, or golden-necked cassowary, is a large, stocky flightless bird of northern New Guinea. It is one of the three living species of cassowary, alongside the dwarf cassowary and the southern cassowary. It is a ratite, a polyphyletic group of flightless Paleognaths, which includes birds like the ostrich and emu.
Edward Blyth first identified the northern cassowary from a specimen from an aviary located in Calcutta, India, in 1860. It is the most recently discovered of all the cassowary species. The genus name Casuarius is derived from the Malay word kesuari "cassowary", while the species name unappendiculatus refers to the species' single wattle. Officially, there are no subspecies, though some authors list several subspecies.
The northern cassowary has a hard and stiff black plumage, blue facial skin and a casque on top of the head. In 2026, scientists discovered that northern cassowary casques glow under UV light, and in different pattterns than southern cassowary casques. It has a bright red or yellow coloured neck and wattle. The feet... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Raja Ampat
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia |
More parks will be added in future updates.
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Northern Cassowary in Raja Ampat?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Cassowary sighting in Raja Ampat, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Northern Cassowary in Raja Ampat?
March has the highest sighting rate for Northern Cassowary in Raja Ampat in our monthly data.