The secret life of cassowaries is hidden in their droppings
In short: To save an endangered species, a community nursery relies on a rather messy source of data. By collecting and rinsing the seeds from cassowary waste, volunteers are reconstructing the lost food sources of these massive birds to prevent their extinction in the Australian rainforest.
The southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) is an iconic but endangered bird of the wet tropics. Once estimated at 2,500 to 4,000 adults in 1988, the population plummeted to approximately 1,500 by 2001 due to habitat loss and fragmentation. Because humans have cleared significant land, these birds—which can weigh up to 80kg and reach heights of 2m—have lost their primary food sources. In response, Jax Bergersen established the Kuranda Conservation Community Nursery on a former cattle farm to cultivate native flora specifically for them.
The nursery's strategy is rooted in biological observation. Bergersen identifies preferred foods by collecting fresh droppings from the roadside and extracting seeds. One such favorite is the blue quandong (Elaeocarpus angustifolius), which produces fruit containing 1-2cm wide pips with two seeds inside. The team grows these on for about a year before planting them out, aiming to create a corridor of food that extends beyond protected World Heritage sites into surrounding areas where wildlife roam freely.
The operation is a labor-intensive community effort involving about 10 regular volunteers who meet every Saturday. They manage the lifecycle of thousands of plants—from potting seedlings and repotting larger specimens to managing a worm farm that turns leftover waste into fertilizer. By selling these native trees at nominal prices or giving them away, they encourage local landowners to create a continuous habitat, recognizing that for wildlife, national park boundaries are invisible.
The conservation work also highlights the unique mating habits of the cassowary. The birds mate for about five weeks a year; once the female begins laying eggs and the male sits on them, they have no further interaction. This biological cycle makes their survival dependent on a stable environment where juvenile young can find enough food to fend for themselves as they leave the nest.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Growing native trees for cassowaries
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