Media release - Mission Beach ‘Super Dad’ Cassowary Defies the Odds with Five Chicks in Tow

Mission Beach ‘Super Dad’ Cassowary Defies the Odds with Five Chicks in Tow

10 March 2026: A male Southern Cassowary raising five chicks has been spotted near Mission Beach, a rare sight conservationists say has only been recorded once in the area in more than a decade.

The sighting, recorded at Charley’s Chocolate earlier this year, has been described by local guides as a “rainforest jackpot”, with broods of this size exceptionally rare in the wild. The male and his five chicks have been returning multiple times a day for several weeks, gorging on fallen fruit from windbreak trees and neighbouring rainforest vegetation.

Charley’s Chocolate Chief Executive Officer, Chris Jahnke said while female cassowaries may lay three to five eggs, it is uncommon for an entire clutch to survive due to predators, habitat pressures and human-related threats.

“There’s nothing quite like spotting a male cassowary with five stripey chicks following behind,” Jahnke said.

“To see them thriving here in the rainforest is incredibly special.”

The Charley’s Chocolate Mt Edna property at Mission Beach spans around 120 hectares, including about 80 hectares of lowland tropical rainforest, where cassowaries and other wildlife are regularly seen alongside the working cocoa plantation, which has been designed to work with the surrounding ecosystem and support habitat for species such as the Southern Cassowary.

Cassowary parenting is unique in the bird world. After laying the eggs, the female leaves and the male takes on all parental duties, incubating the eggs for around 50 days before protecting and raising the chicks.

Even under his watch, survival is difficult. On average, only one in nine cassowary chicks reaches adulthood, making the survival of a full brood remarkable.

“Seeing five stripey chicks together means this dad is doing an incredible job protecting them,” Jahnke said.

The last recorded five-chick sighting in the Mission Beach area was in 2015.

Southern Cassowaries are considered a keystone species in the Wet Tropics and are often called the “gardeners of the rainforest”.

The birds play a vital role in dispersing seeds across the forest floor, with more than 150 plant species relying on cassowaries for seed distribution. Some plants, including the Cassowary Plum, depend almost entirely on the bird’s digestive process to germinate successfully.

With chicks present, wildlife experts are reminding residents and visitors to give cassowaries space and avoid behaviours that could put them at risk.

If you see cassowaries:

• Give them space – stay at least 10 metres away
• Do not feed them – feeding attracts birds to roads and residential areas
• Report sightings via the QWildlife App or to C4 (Community for Coastal and Cassowary Conservation)

“By respecting cassowaries and their habitat, we help protect the future of the Wet Tropics,” Jahnke said.

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Image: Five cassowary chicks with their ‘Super Dad’. Photo credit: Chris Jahnke

Media Enquiries: Zoe Holmes | 0427 676 569 | zoe.holmes@outlook.com.au