The cassowary is further proof that birds are living dinosaurs.
Native to Papua New Guinea and Northern Australia, the flightless Cassowary bird can grow up to a whopping 7 feet tall and weigh as much as 120 pounds. It’s the third-tallest and second-heaviest living bird.
But even more dinosauric are the cassowary’s razor-sharp talons that it uses to defend itself. Known as the “world’s most dangerous bird,” the cassowary can quickly kill a person with one strike of its dagger-like feet.
Speaking of humans, the cassowary was the first domesticated bird — not the chicken. Now imagine how vicious these birds were before people got involved!
Interestingly, the cassowary also lay bright green and pale green-blue eggs during the breeding season. Meanwhile, the male cassowary constructs the nest, incubates the eggs for 50 days, and raises the chicks until they turn 3 years old. That’s almost as fascinating as the bird’s turquoise neck, shark fin-shaped casque, and glossy feathers — such a mythical and neat-colored creature!
