Rare southern cassowary chick hatches at Birdland in Bourton

Birdland, in the Cotswolds, has announced its first ever successful hatching of a southern cassowary chick - renowned as one of the world’s largest and most formidable flightless birds.

The birth is a major milestone for the Bourton-on-the-Water wildlife attraction - which has been trying to breed the giant birds on site for more than 25 years.

The chick, which is part of the European Endangered Species Programme, is only the fourth to hatch in Europe in 2024 and the first born in the UK since 2021.

The parents, a male from Avifauna in Alphen, Netherlands, and a female from Frankfurt, Germany, have been together at Birdland since 2012.

(Image: SWNS)

Keeper Alistair Keen said: “It has been a massive effort from the entire team here over many years, but it’s all been worthwhile when you see this amazing humbug-coloured chick exploring its new surroundings under the watchful eye of a very protective father.

“Cassowaries have a reputation as one of the world’s most dangerous birds and their size, speed and power combined with their dagger-like, 10-centimetre claws mean we have to take looking after them extremely seriously.

“They are the only birds on site that have their own risk assessment as they are potentially so hazardous.

“In order to avoid disturbing them during the incubation, we’ve been using video cameras to monitor the nest and when we caught our first glimpse of the tiny chick it was a very special moment indeed."

(Image: SWNS)

It is the male who incubates the eggs and looks after the hatchlings, in a rare occasion for the animal world.

He sits on the nest for up to two months. 

Once the brown-and-tan striped chicks hatch, it’s the male who leads them to his regular feeding grounds, protecting them and teaching them the ways of the world. 

Youngsters stay with their father for up to 16 months.

The name ‘cassowary’ is thought to originate from two Papuan words: ‘kasu’ (meaning horned) and ‘wari’ (meaning head).

It refers to the bird’s prehistoric looking casque, a hollow structure made of keratin on the top of their head.

(Image: SWNS)

Found in the tropical rainforests of Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea, the southern cassowary’s conservation status was recently re-designated from Vulnerable to Least Concern.

However, deforestation and increasing human activity is providing a growing threat to the birds’ long-term survival prospects.

Although flightless, like other members of the ratite family including ostriches and emus, they are powerful runners reaching speeds of up to 31 mph (50 km/h).

Despite lacking the ability to fly, the giant birds can also jump up to two metres and have even been filmed swimming.

Over the coming weeks it is hoped visitors will have a rare opportunity to catch a glimpse of the fast-growing bird in its spacious enclosure.