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Their original name was a reference to another dangerous bird
When European explorers visited the western coast of Australia in the late 17th century, they were first seen by a Dutch captain named Willem de Vlamingh on one of his expeditions.
When the first Europeans settled in Australia nearly a century later, these birds were named the “New Holland cassowary,” a reference to the most dangerous birds in the world and fellow ratite the cassowary. The genus Dromaius was named shortly after and was derived from a Greek word that means “racer,” a reference to the speed these birds can reach while running.
