From Opus

Revision as of 11:43, 11 December 2008

Alternative name: Prince Albert's Lyrebird

Photo by jimmclean
Photographed: Lamington NP, Queensland, Australia

Menura alberti

Identification

The Albert's Lyrebird is a pheasant-sized songbird, up to 90cm long, with brown upper body plumage and rich chestnut below. The rarer of the two species of lyrebirds, the Albert's Lyrebird lacks the elegant lyre-shaped tail feathers of the Superb Lyrebird.

Distribution

Albert's Lyrebird is inhabiting and endemic to Australia, in a small area on the state border between New South Wales and Queensland.

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species¹.

Habitat

Subtropical rainforests; Albert's Lyrebird has Vulnerable status on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species due to ongoing habitat loss.

Behaviour

It is very similar to the Superb Lyrebird in its habits. This bird also mimics other species sounds. It also build platforms by trampling down dense vegetation for courtship display instead of scratch up mounds. The diet consists mainly of small animals found on forest floor or on rotting logs.

References

1. Clements, James F. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019

External Links

• View movie-clip (in .flv format) here