“Cassowaries are large, flightless birds related to emus and (more distantly) to ostriches, rheas, and kiwis”, writes Olivia Judson in the September issue of National Geographic magazine. How large? People-size: Adult males stand well over five foot five and top 110 pounds. Females are even taller, and can weigh more than 160 pounds. Dangerous when roused, they’re shy and peaceable when left alone. But even birds this big and tough are prey to habitat loss. The dense New Guinea and Australia rain forests where they live have dwindled. Today cassowaries might number 1,500 to 2,000. And because they help shape those same forests – by moving seeds from one place to another – “if they vanish”, Judson writes, “the structure of the forest would gradually change” too. (Photo by Christian Ziegler/National Geographic)

A Japanese white-eye is seen on a branch of cherry blossoms at Kyoto Imperial Palace on March 26, 2010 in Kyoto, Japan. (Photo by Akihiro I/Getty Images)

Workers harvest cranberries from one of third-generation farmer Larry Harju's bogs in Carver, Massachusetts, U.S. October 14, 2016. The cranberries from Harju’s farm are a part of the 8 million barrels of cranberries Ocean Spray anticipates is grower-owners will produce this year. (Photo by Brian Snyder/Reuters)

LA-based photographer Mike Kelley has been working on his amazing “Airportaits” for two years. He racked up racked up more than 74,000 air miles on 25 flights to complete the series. (Photo by Mike Kelley/SWINS)

Alison Brie and Betty Gilpin host in the Netflix comedy-drama“Glow” Season 1 TV Series, 2017. (Photo by Erica Parise/Netflix/Kobal/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Palestinians scuffle with Israeli forces at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City on December 8, 2017. Palestinians clashed with Israeli security forces after calls for a “day of rage” as US President Donald Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital sent shockwaves through the region for a second day. (Photo by Thomas Coex/AFP Photo)

Abbas (1944 – 25 April 2018) was an Iranian photographer known for his photojournalism in Biafra, Vietnam and South Africa in the 1970s, and for his extensive essays on religions in later years. He was a member of Sipa from 1971 to 1973, a member of Gamma from 1974 to 1980, and joined Magnum Photos in 1981. Here: Kuwait, 1991. (Photo by Abbas Attar/Magnum Photos)

Lily Donaldson attends the “Loveless (Nelyubov)” screening during the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 18, 2017 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Tristan Fewings/Getty Images)