Superb lyrebird

Superb lyrebird
Wild Down Under
Male lyrebirds mimic the sounds of the other birds around them.

The Superb Lyrebird (Menura superba) is chicken-sized and rather nondescript, but males have a unique tail containing three types of feathers, which in certain positions resembles a lyre.

Superb Lyrebird or Weringerong (Menura novaehollandiae) is found in areas of wet forest in Victoria and New South Wales, and in Tasmania where it was introduced in the 19th Century.

Male Superb Lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae). This very primitive songbird shows strong sexual dimorphism, with a peculiarly apomorphic display plumage in males.

The Superb lyrebird gets its name because of the tail of the male bird. When the tail is raised over his head, it looks like an ancient musical stringed instrument called a lyre.

Superb Lyrebird
Superb Lyrebird at Nest
Superfamily Cicadoidea, in Chapter 30: Hemiptera (bugs, leafhoppers, cicadas, aphids, scale insects, etc.)
Superfamily Macropodoidea
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common name for Australian passerine birds named for the appearance of the tail plumage of the male superb lyrebird, Menura novaehollandiae, when displayed during courtship. There are only two species.

Threats: This species is secure, but further work is needed to assess the impact that the introduced Superb Lyrebird (Menura superba) has on this species in forested areas. Domestic and feral cats kill many of these lizards.

And there was the Superb Lyrebird as promised. I actually heard it scratching in the leaves before I saw it ten feet off the path. It paid no attention to me and went on scratching in the dirt.

Its loud, penetrating call is often interspersed with mimicry of other species. Albert's Lyrebird can be distinguished from the more common Superb Lyrebird by its richer brown plumage and, in males, less elaborate outer tail or 'lyre' feathers.

See also: Lyrebird, Magpie, Parrot, Raven, Swift