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Lyrebird
…Interesting creatures
Lyrebird
Kaieteur News-Native to Australia, the lyrebird is an oddity with its ability to mimic other animals, even copying the sound of predators to scare off other predators. It can mimic sounds, from car alarms to human speech.
Another cool fact about the lyrebird is its remarkable tail, which features two extended feathers, much like a peacock’s. These feathers fold in behind him, forming a heart shape, when the male performs his mating dance.
The superb lyrebird can crush scorpions with its rakelike feet. And, a new study suggests, the multitalented bird turns over more soil than any other animal on land, even earthworms and gophers. Scouring the forest floor for insects, each bird can kick up a whopping 388 tons of leaf litter and earth a year across its range in eastern Australia. That beneficially aerates soils and reduces fire risk.
There are six pairs of filmy whitish feathers. One pair of 60–75-cm (24–30-inch) feathers that form the arms of the “lyre” are broad and curled at the tip and are silvery on one side and marked with golden-brown crescents on the other.
There are also two equally long “wires,” narrow, stiff, slightly curved feathers that correspond to a lyre’s strings; they are situated in the centre of the curved “arms.” With a total length of about 1 metre (39 inches), the male lyrebird is the longest of passerine birds.
An interesting fact about this bird species is found when the male displays in small clearings, which he makes at several places in the forest, he brings his tail forward so that the white plumes form a canopy over his head and the lyrelike feathers stand out to the side. In this position he sings, while prancing in rhythm, far-carrying melodious notes interspersed with perfect mimicry of other creatures and even of mechanical sounds. The breeding season is rainy winter, when insect food is abundant.
The nest is a large mound of sticks, usually on the ground, that contains a spacious chamber for the single egg. Nest building and incubation are done by the female, which resembles the male except in tail development.
(Lyrebird)
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