Bird Album
Dwarf Cassowary
Casuarius bennetti Gould, 1857
35 kgWeight
The dwarf cassowary (Casuarius bennetti), also known as Bennett's cassowary, little cassowary, mountain cassowary or muruk, is the smallest of the three extant species of cassowaries.
Busiest months: July · Most records: Papua New Guinea, Indonesia
Where and when it's recorded
Dwarf Cassowary has been recorded at 7 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 2 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Varirata National ParkPapua New Guinea31 records
- Sera (formerly Crater Mountain) Biological Research StationPapua New Guinea12 records
- Rondon Ridge LodgePapua New Guinea3 records
More places
- Arfak Mtns – German CampIndonesia2 records
- Walindi Dive ResortPapua New Guinea1 record
- Highlands Hwy – above Ambua Lodge to Tari GapPapua New Guinea1 record
- Arfak Mtns – MaybriIndonesia1 record
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The dwarf cassowary (Casuarius bennetti), also known as Bennett's cassowary, little cassowary, mountain cassowary or muruk, is the smallest of the three extant species of cassowaries. Like all cassowaries, it is a mostly black, large flightless bird. It inhabits the island of New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Dwarf Cassowary?
The Dwarf Cassowary weighs around 35 kg.
Where does the Dwarf Cassowary live?
Its breeding range: Australasia: Yapen (Geelvink Bay islands, northwestern New Guinea), New Guinea and New Britain (southeastern Bismarck Archipelago). It is most often recorded in Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
When is the best time to see the Dwarf Cassowary?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in July (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Dwarf Cassowary endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Dwarf Cassowary as Least Concern.
What does the Dwarf Cassowary eat?
Main food: Fruit.
What family is the Dwarf Cassowary in?
It belongs to the family Cassowaries, Emu (Casuariidae), order Casuariiformes.
At a glance
- Weight
- 35 kg
- Habitat
- Forest
- Diet
- Fruit
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 217 mm
- Tail
- 319 mm
- Bill
- 74 mm
- Tarsus
- 260 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Australasia: Yapen (Geelvink Bay islands, northwestern New Guinea), New Guinea and New Britain (southeastern Bismarck Archipelago)
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Casuariiformes
- Family
- Cassowaries, Emu Casuariidae
- Genus
- Casuarius
Other birds in the genus Casuarius
Southern CassowaryCasuarius casuarius
Northern CassowaryCasuarius unappendiculatus
EmuDromaius novaehollandiae
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos.
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