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Photo by Broc
Photo taken: Melbourne, Australia

Menura novaehollandiae

Identification

100cm. Brown upper body, greyish-brown below, rounded wings and strong legs. It is the longest and third heaviest of all songbirds. The male's tail has sixteen feathers, with the two outermost being lyre-shaped. It takes seven years for the tail to fully develop. During courtship display, the tail is fanned forward beyond his head to form a silvery white canopy.

Distribution

Southeastern Australia, from southern Victoria to southeastern Queensland.

Taxonomy

Habitat

Forests.

Behaviour

The female builds a domed nest and 1 egg is laid.

The diet includes small animals found on forest floor or from rotting logs.

The Superb Lyrebird is probably best known for its imitations of other birds and also noises that it hears around it. It was captured in an iconic David Attenborough clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjE0Kdfos4Y

External Links

• View more images of this species on the ABID