It’s an exciting time for the Bird department here at the zoo as we prepare to welcome two southern cassowaries to the Islands habitat. This is one of the largest bird species in the world, so transporting and caring for 15-year-old male Frankfurt and 12-year-old female Twiggy has taken a lot of planning and research behind the scenes.
With a top speed of up to 31mph, an eye-catching horned head, and dagger-like claws of up to 8cm, these normally shy and secretive birds can become aggressive if threatened when protecting chicks.
Mainly found in the tropical rainforests of north-eastern Queensland, Australia, and on the island of New Guinea, the cassowary primarily lives on fallen fruit and fungi, but will also eat bugs and small vertebrates when the opportunity arises. If you keep an ear out you might think you’re hearing thunder on the horizon, but it’s actually a unique rumbling sound cassowaries make that is yet another surprising characteristic of these prehistoric looking characters!
Top speed of up to 31mph.
Dagger like claws of up to 8cm.
THE BIG MOVE
Frankfurt and Twiggy have been matched as a breeding pair and are moving to us from Paignton Zoo in Devon. They have been undergoing training in preparation for the big move, learning to enter their crates using positive reinforcement foods such as grapes and mice which are a firm favourite of Twiggy’s! Frankfurt has been a bit slower to pick up the training, but the move won’t go ahead until both of them are comfortable and ready to make the trip.
Before they arrive, we’ll be moving Asmat and Timika, the current pair of cassowaries at the zoo, into a purpose built behind-the-scenes habitat which will help our keepers to more closely monitor them as they get older. Working with cassowaries brings a range of challenges which has meant our keepers are skilled at working closely with the birds, and are able to move them into different areas of the habitat so they can carry out all of their daily tasks and minimise risks.
THE MATING GAME
Frankfurt and Twiggy are part of the EEP (European Endangered Species Programme) which recommends suitable breeding pairs. As wild populations are showing a downwards trend, this makes cassowaries being cared for in conservation zoos like ours all the more important.
Breeding cassowaries is a tricky business as they’re a solitary species that can get territorial and aggressive both in the wild and in zoos if brought together at the wrong time. Twiggy in particular has been described as a feisty character! With little research into when these birds might be looking to breed or the best ways to achieve a successful match, it will be a slow process once they arrive here at the zoo to understand this pair's behaviour better so that we can bring them together successfully for breeding season.
DAD DUTIES
Interestingly, females don’t hang around long after mating and will have two or three male partners in one breeding season which is unusual in the bird world. Once the eggs are laid, the female will leave the male to incubate the eggs for 50 days and then care for the chicks for nine months after hatching.
Cassowary eggs are usually laid in clutches of three to five and are bright green in colour. This is to camouflage them in tropical forests, making them harder to spot by predators.
GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH
Zoe Sweetman, a Team Manager in the Birds department, is currently researching cassowary behaviour as part of her Masters. Zoe started out monitoring Asmat and Timika's behaviour with cameras around their habitat. Working through 70,000 hours of data and 10,000 hours of audio so far, Zoe is looking at how the behaviour of cassowaries changes based on a variety of factors both here and in other organisations across Europe. She's primarily looking at seasonal behaviour changes in relation to courtship and breeding.
Alongside hormone samples, a key part of Zoe’s work is delving into the little-known area of cassowary communication and how their vocalisations change. We know that they can communicate through infrasound, a set of sounds that are too low for the human ear, which makes Zoe’s research such an important part in the jigsaw of caring for cassowaries and the vital signs to look for when it comes to breeding the next generation.
GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH
Zoe Sweetman, a Team Manager in the Birds department, is currently researching cassowary behaviour as part of her Masters. Zoe started out monitoring Asmat and Timika's behaviour with cameras around their habitat. Working through 70,000 hours of data and 10,000 hours of audio so far, Zoe is looking at how the behaviour of cassowaries changes based on a variety of factors both here and in other organisations across Europe. She's primarily looking at seasonal behaviour changes in relation to courtship and breeding.
Alongside hormone samples, a key part of Zoe’s work is delving into the little-known area of cassowary communication and how their vocalisations change. We know that they can communicate through infrasound, a set of sounds that are too low for the human ear, which makes Zoe’s research such an important part in the jigsaw of caring for cassowaries and the vital signs to look for when it comes to breeding the next generation.
SEE THE CASSOWARIES UP CLOSE
Do you want to come face to face with these amazing birds? We’re delighted to announce a BRAND NEW cassowary Experience which will be launching very soon at the zoo. You’ll be taken to Asmat and Timika’s behind-the-scenes habitat, where you’ll get the chance to feed the prehistoric pair some of their favourite snacks. Best of all one of our expert keepers will be on hand to answer any questions you have about this fascinating and at times misunderstood creature.
Make sure you keep an eye on our website to stay up to date with all of the latest animal Experiences on offer!
