Cassowaries: The Deadliest Birds on the
Planet
Cassowaries are renowned for being the deadliest living birds on Earth and some of the biggest.
They belong to the infraclass ‘Ratite’, which contains other large, flightless birds such as the
emu, rhea, ostrich, and kiwi.
They are mostly vegetarian, with their favorite foods being various fruits, but they are also
omnivores, eating small vertebrates like insects, reptiles, and small mammals. They are known to
practice coprophagy, the consumption of feces (gross), as adult waste often contains
half-digested fruit which still has nutritional value, so the birds often consume each other's, as
well as their own, droppings.
What truly makes Cassowaries scary, though, is their statistics. They can reach a top speed of
50km/h, easily outrunning even the fastest humans, jump 7 feet in the air, and swim.
The female Cassowary normally grows larger than the males, with some growing to 6 and a half
feet tall, meaning that if their hellish, razor-sharp claws had opposable thumbs, they could
probably join the NBA and win MVP every season. To top it off, even Steve Irwin, the
world-famous crocodile wrestler and stingray kebab (sorry, R.I.P. Steve), was afraid to even go
near a Cassowary. Once, one got to him and kicked him up 3 feet, showing just how strong their
kicks are.
Speaking of their claws, these crash-out cockatoos—because let’s be honest, they’re just blue
cockatoos that went to the gym, pumped steroids, and never skipped leg day—have been
recorded using them to disembowel both humans and dogs alike. They have the sharpest claws of
any ratite, commonly being compared to daggers and can grow to 5 inches. In his 1958 book
Living Birds of the World, ornithologist (person who studies birds) Ernest Thomas Gilliard
wrote:
“The inner or second of the three toes is fitted with a long, straight, murderous
nail which can sever an arm or eviscerate an abdomen with ease. There are many
records of natives being killed by this bird.”
A 2003 historical study showed that 150 Cassowaries have been recorded attacking humans, with
only 1 dying from the recorded attacks. On April 6, 1926, a 16-year-old boy named Phillip
McClean and his 13-year-old brother decided to try to kill a cassowary on their property by
hitting it with clubs (who does that?). The bird kicked the younger boy, who fell and fled as his
older brother struck the bird. The older McClean stumbled and fell to the ground, whereupon the
cassowary kicked him in the neck, causing a 1.25-centimeter (0.49-inch) wound that severed his
jugular vein. Phillip soon died of his injuries.
But we can't exactly be mad at these behemoth birds; they are known to be shy most of the time
and only resort to violence when they are seriously threatened. We, as humans, are almost always
the instigators of these encounters by coming into their territory, disturbing the young, or getting
a bit too close to them or their eggs.
In conclusion, cassowaries are fascinating yet powerful creatures that warrant respect and
caution. Their striking appearance and function in nature render them a valuable component of
their environment, but their powerful legs, long claws, and defensive nature solidify their
reputation as the most dangerous birds on the planet.
Irindu Indusara Dissanayake,
Horizon College International, Malabe,
Year 7