The southern cassowary is one of three species of cassowary, and the only species that lives in Australia. It is a ratite, like emus and ostriches. My favorite thing about them - besides the fact that they look like dinosaurs - is that they flip the common roles for parental care. After the mom lays her eggs, the dad takes care of them, and continues to care for the chicks after they hatch for about nine months or so. The males are also smaller and tend to be less territorial than the females.
The creeks and streams I follow to look for snakes are water sources for other animals, too, and one spot in particular seemed to be a bit of a cassowary highway. Cassowaries are big birds and they tend to make a decent amount of noise when they move through the bush, so I usually had some warning and could stand quiet and still and wait for them to pass by. Occasionally, if I was struggling to get through the bush or focused on something else, one would surprise me. Then, I would freeze, letting the bird assess and decide I wasn't a threat before it moved on. In my experience, the birds aren't aggressive, but they can peck or kick, and their talons are enormous. I made sure never to get between a cassowary dad and his chicks.
In the video below, see how dad checks me out before choosing a route, kiddos following behind.
I also ran into a few groups crossing the road. There are signs and speed bumps everywhere reminding people to watch out for cassowaries.