Big bird energy – celebrating our local icon!

Published on 25 September 2026

They’re big, bold, unmistakable and an important part of life here on the Cassowary Coast.

This World Cassowary Day, we’re celebrating the southern cassowary — our namesake, our rainforest gardener and, arguably, the OG rainforest influencer.

Cassowary Coast Regional Council Environmental portfolio holder and division five Councillor, Jeff Baines said cassowaries were part of the identity of the region.

“Cassowaries are part of who we are on the Cassowary Coast — they’re in our name, our landscape and, for many of us, our neighbourhoods and backyards,” Councillor Baines said.

“We’re incredibly fortunate to share this place with them, and protecting their future takes all of us.

“We work alongside the Queensland Government, Wet Tropics Management Authority, Traditional Custodians and rangers, community conservation groups, schools and our local community to protect cassowaries and the rainforest habitat they rely on.”

Across the region, we support revegetation and wildlife corridors, pest and weed management, community education and habitat restoration.

We’ve recently installed new cassowary awareness signage with the Queensland Government, Wet Tropics Management Authority and local conservation groups to help people safely share cassowary habitat.

We’ve also worked with Mamu Rangers and Innisfail State College students on native planting through the Cassowary Credits program and give away native trees twice a year to help residents create habitat and food sources for local wildlife.

This month, our Science in the Pub event put cassowaries centre stage, bringing local experts and the community together to talk about their behaviour, habitat and some of the biggest threats they face.

Wet Tropics Management Authority Senior Project Officer Terry Carmichael said road strike remained a significant threat.

“Everybody can help with road strike. We lose between 20 and 25 animals every year throughout the Wet Tropics region,” Terry said.

“So, where you see a cassowary sign, slow down.”

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service Technical Officer Jeff Lewis said feeding cassowaries could also put the birds and people at risk.

“Feeding cassowaries is a problem,” Jeff said.

“From our statistics, it shows it can lead to further road strikes and potentially dangerous interactions with people.”

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service Technical Officer Joanna Smidt said cassowaries also played an important role in keeping the rainforest healthy.

“The southern cassowary is the only animal able to distribute some of the larger rainforest fruits in Australia,” Joanna said.

“That’s why they are a keystone species and are known as the ‘rainforest gardener’.”

We can all help protect our big birds by slowing down in cassowary country, never feeding them, keeping dogs under control and giving cassowaries plenty of space.

If you spot one, you can also record your sighting in the QWildlife app, helping researchers and wildlife managers better understand where cassowaries are moving and living.

This World Cassowary Day, we’re celebrating a bird with serious big bird energy — and reminding everyone that keeping cassowaries wild and thriving starts with all of us.

For more information, visit www.cassowarycoast.qld.gov.au/southern-cassowary.