Southern cassowaries live in northeastern Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia.
Tropical rainforests are their primary habitat, but they can also be found in wetlands or savanna. It is estimated that from 20,000 to 50,000 birds live in the wild.
The diet of different crustacean species varies greatly.
Most are scavengers but some are carnivores, some are herbivores, and still others are filter feeders or parasites. The prey of parasitic crustaceans is usually fish, whales, or other crustaceans.