This is bird note.

That coughing sound is the call of a southern cassowary.

It's a huge flightless prehistoric looking bird found in the tropical forests

of Northeastern Australia, New Guinea, and Indonesia. This bird would look right at home in

Jurassic Park.

It weighs about 150 pounds and stands nearly six feet tall

with a striking bony crest.

Its head and long neck are a deep blue, bare and featherless.

Looks a lot like an ostrich, but it's covered in coarse black feathers that almost look like

fur. Two bright red waddles, like those of a wild turkey, dangle from its throat.

Cassowaries eat mostly fruit, but they'll take just about any food that presents itself,

plants, frogs, insects, and the like.

Females are bigger than males, sometimes a lot bigger.

Unlike many other birds, males alone incubate the eggs and care for the young up to nine months.

And cassuaries are capable of making remarkable sounds.

How about this call?

It's the lowest pitched bird call in the

it's the lowest pitched bird call in the world and it's barely audible to the human ear.

Be sure to take a look at these strange birds at our website, Birdnote.org. I'm Mary McCann. If you ever miss a

bird note, you can always get the latest episode, just tell your smart

speaker play the podcast Bird Note.