A far north Queensland visitor information centre has covered up its cassowary statue after its head was torn off by a female of the species.

It happened at the Community for Coastal and Cassowary Conservation at Mission Beach, south of Cairns.

The area is a renowned cassowary habitat.

Conservationist Liz Gallie says the birds sometimes struggle to distinguish between statues and the real thing.

"It just didn't receive the response that it's used to with another cassowary," she said.

"I wasn't there but I believe it kicked it a few times and it's broken it a little bit.

"I think that they've covered it up so the cassowary can continue to visit its habitat and not have that stimulus or annoyance there."

Ms Gallie says it is likely the cassowary became confused after noticing the statue's distinctive colours, but not getting the response it was expecting.

"There've been lots of reports of people having their statues - I believe there was a business here who had one either side of their gate - and it was a fenced yard and the cassowaries were attracted to it all the time and then got trapped inside there," she said.

"I've seen lots of photographs where they're standing next to these statues trying to make themselves taller, challenging them and whatever."