the southern cassowary has stiff, bristly black plumage, a blue face and neck, red on the cape and two red wattles measuring around in length hanging down around its throat. a horn-like brown casque, measuring high, sits atop the head. the bill can range from . the three-toed feet are thick and powerful, equipped with a lethal dagger-like claw up to on the inner toe. the plumage is sexually monomorphic, but the female is dominant and larger with a longer casque, larger bill and brighter-coloured bare parts. the juveniles have brown longitudinal striped plumage. it is perhaps the largest member of the cassowary family and is tied as the second heaviest bird on earth, at a maximum size estimated at and tall. normally, this species ranges from in length. the height is normally ; females average , while males average . the northern cassowary is about the same size on average and is perhaps very mildly less sexually dimorphic than the southern. most adult birds will weigh between . it is technically the largest asian bird (since the extinction of the arabian ostrich) and the largest australian bird (though the emu may be slightly taller).