Paluma Range Cassowary Citizen Science Event

The Paluma Range represents the southernmost global extent for the southern cassowary however, very little is known about this population of cryptic rainforest ratites. A research project is underway to better understand the abundance, distribution and threats to cassowaries here by way of sign and camera trap surveys, citizen science sightings and collation of historical records.

As a Key Biodiversity Area containing 22,050 ha of potential habitat, it is estimated that cassowaries have been roaming these forests and distributing rainforest seeds for ~50 million years. Cassowaries are only sighted on the Paluma Range on occasion and are evidently in low abundance so many questions arise... Have they always been in low abundance here? Are there current or historical threats that have impacted them? Are they undertaking altitudinal migration to access different fruit resources over different seasons? Are they able to disperse and interbreed with…