Most dangerous bird

The most dangerous birds are all three species of cassowary (family Casuariidae), which are native to New Guinea, Indonesia and north-eastern Queensland, Australia.They are large ground-dwelling birds – up to 2 metres (6 feet 6 inches) tall – and on each foot they have three forward-pointing toes with strong claws to provide grip while running, the inner toe having a 12-centimetre-long (5-inch) spike for defensive purposes that it uses when threatened. A cornered or wounded bird can be extremely dangerous and will leap into the air and kick, damaging vital organs or causing massive bleeding. On several occasions, injuries inflicted by cassowaries have been severe enough to kill a person.

The last-reported death caused by cassowary was in April 2019: a 75-year-old man in Florida, USA, who reared the birds is believed to have fallen in their enclosure and been attacked. He later died in hospital from his injuries.