Video shows cassowary stalking hikers in Queensland's north

One of the world most dangerous birds has been captured stalking a group of hikers in Queensland's north, triggering warnings from authorities about the unusual behaviour.

Video released today from the Queensland Department of Environment and Science has shown the close encounter between a cassowary and bushwalkers in the Atherton Tablelands, south of Cairns.

The clip shows the group attempting to walk away from the bird while it stalks them.

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"Don't touch it, Danny, just let him go," a person can be heard saying.

Experts have blamed the behaviour on previous cases of humans feeding the bird, with it now expecting lunch every time someone passes by.

"A cassowary that wasn't habituated would never approach bushwalkers and would have retreated into the forest to avoid such an encounter," Senior Wildlife Officer Dinouk Perera said.

"This was an unnerving incident for the bushwalkers, and they did the right thing by remaining calm and moving away until the cassowary realised it wasn't going to be fed."

There are about 200 cassowary attacks recorded every year, with a man even being killed after an attack in the US in 2019.

Authorities say you can be fined more than $5,000 for feeding the dangerous birds.