Cassowaries are big flightless birds native to Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. These wary critters are well-known for their brightly-colored heads which have a casque or “helmet,” on top. However, despite their unique looks, they are often confused with several other types of birds that have a similar appearance. So here’s a list of birds that look like cassowaries to help you tell them apart.
Emu
The emu is a big flightless bird that is found in Australia. Along with rheas, ostriches, and cassowaries, emus belong to the most primitive family of all modern birds, known as ratites. The emu’s feathers have a distinct appearance, they actually look like hair. These birds are also fast and their long legs allow them to take strides reaching close to nine feet long when running.
Rhea
The rhea is a large flightless bird from South America. There are two species of rhea: the greater rhea and the lesser rhea. The greater rhea is the largest bird in South America while the lesser rhea is slightly smaller in size. This cassowary-like bird typically has eyes that are blue to brown in color.
Ostrich
Unlike other birds that look like cassowaries, the ostrich has the distinction of being the only one that has two toes on each of its feet. This adaptation is believed to help it to run faster and escape predators. The ostrich is native to Africa however it is farmed around the world for its feathers, meat, and skin (which is made into leather).
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