In 2016 Clements merged the Dromaiidae (Emu) family with the Cassowary family. I will discuss both here. In the summer of 1988, Sean and I travelled to Australia to support an Earthwatch project at a research station in Western New South Wales. The Kangaroo banding project is described here. The closest town to the outback research station was Broken Hill.
The first bird I saw in the merged Casuariidae was the Emu on the road from Broken Hill to the research station. The Emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) was seen on July 12, 1988. It was the only species in the now merged family named Dromaiidae. I also recorded this bird a few times on a subsequent trip to Australia.
Emu can only be seen in Australia. Bird and range are shown below.
After 2 weeks at the research station, Sean & I took another 2 weeks and travelled around other parts of Eastern Australia. These travels took us to Mission Beach in Queensland. We took some time to snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef nearby and then look for Southern Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius). We were chased by a mother bird protecting its young. (Cassowaries have a potentially very dangerous claw that can give a fatal blow, so great care to avoid is necessary.)
I saw this bird on July 23, 1988. At the time, it was my first family sighting for the unmerged Casuariidae. I did see it again on a subsequent trip to Australia with Louise. This unmerged family can only be seen in the Australo-Papuan region, with the main home on the Island of New Guinea. Below is the bird, its range, and its claw.
