Air and Water Environmental DNA Enable Detection of a Large Terrestrial Bird: A Case Study of the Southern Cassowary ( Casuarius casuarius )
4 affiliations
- 1Institute for Applied Ecology University of Canberra Bruce Australian Capital Territory Australia
- 2Queensland Government Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation Brisbane Queensland Australia
- 3Queensland Government Department of Primary Industries Brisbane Queensland Australia
- 4NatureDNA Port Macquarie New South Wales Australia
Abstract
The southern cassowary, Casuarius casuarius , is a large‐bodied terrestrial frugivore that plays a critical role in tropical rainforest ecosystems but can be challenging to locate and survey using traditional methods. Across much of its range, populations are threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation and other anthropogenic pressures, and key aspects of distribution and movement remain poorly understood. Environmental DNA (eDNA) offers a non‐invasive approach to monitoring elusive species, yet applications for large, mobile terrestrial vertebrates—particularly using air as a sampling medium—remain limited. Here, we develop and validate a highly sensitive, species‐specific TaqMan‐based eDNA assay to detect the southern cassowary and evaluate its performance using both air and water samples collected in captivity and in the field at sites of known presence. Cassowaries represent a biologically challenging test case for eDNA detection due to their mobility, low local densities and terrestrial ecology. Despite this, we demonstrate that eDNA from both air and water sources provides a practical, non‐invasive tool to monitor this keystone rainforest species across landscapes where traditional surveys are logistically constrained. Importantly, this approach provides a scalable method for rapidly assessing cassowary presence, supporting landscape‐scale conservation planning and management. Our results highlight the potential of airborne eDNA for detecting large terrestrial vertebrates, with broader implications for biodiversity monitoring.
Versions
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BibTeX
@article{hill2026water,
title = {{Air and Water Environmental DNA Enable Detection of a Large Terrestrial Bird: A Case Study of the Southern Cassowary ( Casuarius casuarius )}},
author = {Peta Hill and Simon Booth and Daniel Guymer and Ariella Matthews and Dinouk Perera and Matt Brien and Elise Furlan},
journal = {Ecology and Evolution},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1002/ece3.74578},
url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.74578},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Air and Water Environmental DNA Enable Detection of a Large Terrestrial Bird: A Case Study of the Southern Cassowary ( Casuarius casuarius )
AU - Peta Hill
AU - Simon Booth
AU - Daniel Guymer
AU - Ariella Matthews
AU - Dinouk Perera
AU - Matt Brien
AU - Elise Furlan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/23
JO - Ecology and Evolution
DO - 10.1002/ece3.74578
UR - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.74578
AB - The southern cassowary, Casuarius casuarius , is a large‐bodied terrestrial frugivore that plays a critical role in tropical rainforest ecosystems but can be challenging to locate and survey using traditional methods. Across much of its range, populations are threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation and other anthropogenic pressures, and key aspects of distribution and movement remain poorly understood. Environmental DNA (eDNA) offers a non‐invasive approach to monitoring elusive species, yet applications for large, mobile terrestrial vertebrates—particularly using air as a sampling medium—remain limited. Here, we develop and validate a highly sensitive, species‐specific TaqMan‐based eDNA assay to detect the southern cassowary and evaluate its performance using both air and water samples collected in captivity and in the field at sites of known presence. Cassowaries represent a biologically challenging test case for eDNA detection due to their mobility, low local densities and terrestrial ecology. Despite this, we demonstrate that eDNA from both air and water sources provides a practical, non‐invasive tool to monitor this keystone rainforest species across landscapes where traditional surveys are logistically constrained. Importantly, this approach provides a scalable method for rapidly assessing cassowary presence, supporting landscape‐scale conservation planning and management. Our results highlight the potential of airborne eDNA for detecting large terrestrial vertebrates, with broader implications for biodiversity monitoring.
SN - 2045-7758
SN - 2045-7758
ER -