Lyrebird To Become Threatened Species? (1 Viewer)

The superb lyrebird, famous for its ability to mimic almost any sound, may have plunged from being a common to a threatened species:

https://www.theguardian.com/environ...-species-scale-bird-habitat-bushfires-emerges

wilberfloss said:

The superb lyrebird, famous for its ability to mimic almost any sound, may have plunged from being a common to a threatened species:

https://www.theguardian.com/environ...-species-scale-bird-habitat-bushfires-emerges

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It's not only just mimicry - they teach their young mimicked calls, which is why you can still hear trimphones** in the Australian bush, although they went out of general use in the mid-1980s, finally fallig from favour because they contained low-level radioactive illuminating components...
MJB
**Tone Ringing Illuminated Model

wilberfloss said:

The superb lyrebird, famous for its ability to mimic almost any sound, may have plunged from being a common to a threatened species:

https://www.theguardian.com/environ...-species-scale-bird-habitat-bushfires-emerges

Click to expand...

Very sad news ..... not only for it's intrinsic beauty, but also because Lyrebirds play a key role in maintaining the health and fire resistance of forests.

I'm amazed that up until now they have been able to survive as well as they have - being under massive assault by Feral Foxes, Cats, Pigs, Goats, Deer, and Wild Dogs. Control of these will be paramount starting immediately - and I'm not quite sure that message is being heard loudly enough, quickly enough, or is being well funded enough. The carnage would already be well and truly underway .... :-C

Thinking about it I can't recall having heard a Lyrebird ever mimic an alarm call of other native birds - I'm thinking here particularly of the ubiquitous Noisey Miner and it's range of different alarm calls for various Birds of Prey, and also (I would imagine) the native Dingo ......

Perhaps they all have some sort of unwritten rule about not 'crying wolf' just to impress the ladyeez ! thus ensuring that the sanctity of the alarm call can be relied upon ...... :cat:





Chosun :gh:

'Solitary' lyrebirds band together to save themselves in 'incredible' show of unity..

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2020...dlJXm1v2h26BCHyxlJg1-mxjq8ntJkXosweVbwMWNm6pQ




Chosun :gh:

Chosun Juan said:

https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2020...dlJXm1v2h26BCHyxlJg1-mxjq8ntJkXosweVbwMWNm6pQ




Chosun :gh:

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A case of needs must when the devil drives, I suppose, Chosun.

There's so much bad news in Oz at the moment, something nice happening makes for a pleasant change. Heartwarming. A kiss for luck for their survival.

wilberfloss said:

A case of needs must when the devil drives, I suppose, Chosun.

There's so much bad news in Oz at the moment, something nice happening makes for a pleasant change. Heartwarming. A kiss for luck for their survival.

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The most I have ever seen together in the wild is two - male and female.

Seeing ~20 at once must have been quite something !
Amazing intelligence and survival instincts.

Wishing them safe travels and lots of juicy morsels in the coming months :t:





Chosun :gh: