- 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
Subspecies
There are 3 subspecies[1]:
- M. n. edwardi:
- Eastern Australia (extreme south-eastern Queensland to Hunter River, New South Wales)
- M. n. novaehollandiae:
- South-Eastern Australia (central New South Wales to Victoria border)
- M. n. victoriae:
- South-Eastern New South Wales to Dandenong Range, Victoria; introduced southern Tasmania
Habitat
Forests.
Behaviour
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 Sir David Attenborough clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjE0Kdfos4Y
Breeding
The female builds a domed nest and 1 egg is laid.
Diet
The diet includes small animals found on forest floor or from rotting logs.
References
- Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Superb Lyrebird. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 27 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Superb_Lyrebird
External Links
