The sound made by the lyrebird is called be. Species: Menura superba = Large lyre bird, magnificent lyrebird

Detachment - passeriformes

Family - Lyrebirds

Genus/Species - Menura novaehollandiae. Lyrebird or lyre bird

Basic data:

DIMENSIONS

Length: male with tail 80-100 cm, female 74-86 cm.

Weight: male almost 1.2 kg, female no more than 950 g.

BREEDING

Puberty: male from 3-9 years old, female earlier.

Nesting period: from May.

Carrying: 1 per season.

Number of eggs: 1.

Incubation: 50 days.

Feeding chicks: 6-7 weeks.

Food: insects, worms and other invertebrates living in the ground or under the bark.

Lifespan: up to 15 years old.

RELATED SPECIES

Only one more species belongs to this small family - the northern lyrebird.

The lyrebird is similar in size to, but it belongs to the passerines. Its body is covered with grayish-brown plumage, and the beautiful tail plumage of the male serves to attract females.

LIFESTYLE

In summer, lyrebirds are kept alone, in pairs or in small flocks. In autumn, males occupy nesting sites, the boundaries of which are marked by singing. Having cleared the area from fallen leaves in advance, the male rakes up an earthen mound and proceeds to perform the courtship dance.

Female lyrebirds live in nesting areas at this time of the year, which include several males. Lyrebirds lead a secretive life, so a person meets them quite rarely. During the day, these shy birds hide in the thickets of the tropical jungle. Lyrebirds spend the night in the trees.

In Australia, however, there are several places where lyrebirds are so accustomed to the presence of people that they even perform their mating dances in front of them. In case of danger, lyrebirds often flee rather than fly away.

WHAT DOES IT FEED

The lyrebird is a bird that is active during the day. It belongs to the order of passeriformes, but with strong legs and claws, it digs up the earth and leaves, as do the galliformes. The lyrebird rakes a layer of fallen leaves and looks for invertebrates, such as centipedes, in it.

The diet of the lyrebird includes insect larvae, earthworms, terrestrial crustaceans, mollusks and other invertebrates that inhabit the forest floor.

BREEDING

The most amazing phenomenon in the life of a lyrebird is the beautiful mating dances of males. The male, which is lekking, rakes up an earthen mound up to 15 cm high, climbs onto it, flips the tail open like a fan forward over its head and sings in full voice.

Lyrebird singing is noted not only for its loudness, but also for its extreme diversity. The mating of males ends when a sufficient number of females ready for mating gather around them. All nesting activities in lyrebirds are carried out exclusively by females.

Lyrebirds build a large bullet-shaped nest from twigs, bark, moss, dry leaves and ferns. The nest tray is lined with feathers and thin filiform roots. The nest is located on the ground, near the trunk of a tree, on a stump, less often in the crown of a tree fern. The female lays only one gray egg with dark spots. During incubation, the female leaves the nest every morning for 3-6 hours and goes to feed. Incubation of eggs by lyrebirds is a rather lengthy process that lasts up to 50 days. A lyrebird chick is born naked and blind. At the age of ten days, it is covered with black fluff. The female feeds the chicks for six to seven weeks.

SINGING

The singing of the lyrebird is unique in terms of the richness of its repertoire and the ability to reproduce various sounds. The song, which carries far through the forest, consists of a long and continuous series of melodious sounds, grunts, groans and clicks.

The typical lyrebird motif lasts only five or six seconds. More than 80% of the song of the lyrebird is made up of melodies borrowed from other birds, or imitation of mechanical sounds. Lyrebird can perform excerpts from over 20 songs in a row different types their relatives. Moreover, the bird often imitates not only the singing of birds, but also the sounds caused by the noise of their wings. Lyrebirds have been noted to mimic sheep bleating, dog barking, car horns, and ax blows.

Lyrebird owes its name to the shape of the tail feather, which in a half-open position resembles a lyre.
If a male has gathered a large enough "audience" around him during mating, he can sing and dance all day long.
Young lyrebirds adopt a characteristic local "dialect" by learning to sing from adult males.
Beautiful tail plumage in males grows only at the age of 3 to 9 years.
The first lyrebird tail feathers were collected in Australia in 1797 by a freed prisoner.
The vocal apparatus of the lyrebird, unlike the songbirds, which have 7 pairs of muscles of the lower larynx, form three pairs of muscles of the lower larynx and a long narrow sternum, their larynx is more complex, and the vocal muscles are richer than in other birds. Lyrebirds and shrubby birds are isolated in a row of semi-songbirds.

THE MARRIAGE RITUAL OF THE LYREHTAIL

Current: with his strong legs, each male rakes a mound up to 15 cm high. One male can make up to 20 such mounds. During the display, standing on the top of the mound, he throws the deployed tail unit over his back forward, like a huge fan.

The length of the tail feather can reach 70 cm. The tail consists of 16 feathers, of which 2 external ones are curved in the form of a lyre.

- Habitat of lyrebird

WHERE Dwells

The lyrebird lives only in the southeast of Australia from Brisbane in the north to Melbourne in the south. In 1934, this species was introduced to Tasmania.

PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION

Lyrebird is under protection. The greatest danger for this bird is the destruction of tropical rainforests - its habitats.

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a unique parody bird called a lyrebird who can imitate all kinds of sounds she hears in her life - this time it's the sound of a laser gun, only where could she hear it, in an American action movie?
unique bird-parodistka called Lyrebird, which is able to represent a variety of sounds that are heard in his life - this time it"s the sound of a laser gun, just where she could hear him, in the American action movie?

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The Australian lyrebird helped solve the riddle over which all mankind struggled - how music and dance are connected. It turned out that directly, and the unity of these two types of art originates in the animal world.

Amazing! Bird sounds from the lyre bird - David Attenborough - BBC wildlife. Video (00:02:55)

For more brilliant natural history shows, exclusive to YouTube, head over to our brand-new channel Earth Unplugged!
David Attenborough presents the amazing lyre bird, which mimics the calls of other birds - and chainsaws and camera shutters - in this video clip from The Life of Birds. This clever creature is one of the most impressive and funny in nature, with unbelievable sounds to match the beautiful pictures.

The lyre bird or lyrebird forms a species in the lyrebird genus. The species is divided into 3 subspecies. Singing bird. It lives in the southeastern regions of Australia and on the island of Tasmania. In Australia, this is south Victoria and southeast Queensland. Representatives of the species live in subtropical and temperate forests, mainly in the national parks of the country. In Australia, this population is endemic, and artificially bred in Tasmania. The birds were brought there in the 30s of the last century, populated the entire island, and now they feel extremely at ease.

Males are larger than females. Their length reaches 100 cm, and females grow up to 85-87 cm. Body weight reaches 1 kg. In the upper part of the body, the plumage is brown. Grayish brown underneath. The wings are rounded, the legs are strong. In males, the tail has a complex shape and reaches a length of 60 cm. There are 16 feathers in it, and they are folded so that they form a shape resembling a musical instrument lyre. It takes 7 years for the tail to fully develop.

The tail is black or dark red above and silver below. During courtship games, males turn their tail over their heads, fan their feathers and form a silver-white dome. In females and young males, the tail is short and consists of brown feathers. Both males and females sing well, imitating a huge variety of sounds. At the same time, males sing louder and more often. The lyrebird can imitate twenty kinds of bird songs. And males are able to imitate the sounds of a car alarm and a working chainsaw.

reproduction

The breeding season falls on the winter of the Southern Hemisphere. During this period, adult males begin to sing half an hour before sunrise, thereby attracting females to themselves. At other times of the year, the lyre bird sings less often. The mating system is messy. The male comes into contact with several females. Such family groups form their territory and protect it from alien birds.

The female builds a domed nest on the ground out of ferns or moss. The clutch contains 1 gray or light brown egg with dark spots. The female, without a male, incubates the egg and feeds the chick. Near the mother, the chick is 9 months old, and then becomes independent.

Behavior and nutrition

Lyrebirds are ancient Australian animals. The Australian Museum has fossils that are 15 million years old. The lyre bird is active during the daytime. It feeds mainly on the ground, raking the soil with its paws. The diet consists mainly of small invertebrates. They are found by representatives of the species on the ground or in rotting logs. Unique birds sleep on tree branches. Australians love these beautiful and vociferous birds. The image of a lyrebird is available on reverse side Australian 10 cent coin.

The or is considered the national bird of Australia. Lyrebird - ancient bird. Its fossilized remains found in Australia are about 15 million years old.

This bird is known for the fact that the tail of males is large and very beautiful, resembling a lyre - a musical instrument. Females do not have such decoration and are less conspicuous. The tail serves as a means of attracting the fairer sex during the mating period.

And the lyre bird is also called a "tape recorder". The fact is that the speech organ - syrinx, is more complex than other representatives of songbirds, which allows them to reproduce the sounds they hear. They "sing" other birds, they can repeat the sounds of musical instruments, machines, equipment and other animals.

The lyre bird, while in the zoo, reproduces the sounds it hears: the sound of a hammer, perforator, drill and other things. Maybe goes next construction. The lyrebird reproduces the sounds it hears very clearly: not only the singing of other birds and animals, but even the ringtones of mobile devices.

Lyrebirds are exclusively Australian birds. They live only in Australia and are divided into two types:

Greater lyrebird
Albert's lyrebird

As the name implies, the Great Lyrebird is larger than its brother and the tail is richer decorated. The bird got its name because of the amazing shape of the tail, consisting of 16 feathers. The last two feathers, dense and colored, are bent into an intricate shape; two thin long feathers in the middle of the tail and central feathers, airy and translucent, form a fan when open.

When the first stuffed bird was delivered to the Museum of Great Britain, the English scientist, who himself had never seen this bird alive, straightened the tail of the specimen at his discretion. It turned out like a peacock tail in the form of a musical instrument. And so the name stuck. It is characteristic that only adult 7-year-old males, ready for mating, wear such an ornament. It is with the help of the tail that they lure the female. Usually not just one.

Lyrebird in natural habitat

Singing

Lyrebirds are songbirds, and they demonstrate their musicality throughout the year. Lyre birds have a rich range of sounds and melodies, but in addition to their own songs, lyrebirds reproduce the voices of other animals, birds and the sounds of human civilization with amazing accuracy. Lyre birds indistinguishably imitate the barking of dogs and the sound of a car horn, melodies mobile phones and chainsaws, playing a musical instrument and shooting.

Lifestyle

Lyrebirds reach a size of 1 meter, females are much smaller than males. The color of the birds is brownish, the breast and abdomen are gray.

Lyre birds live most of their lives on the ground, get food by raking leaves and topsoil with their paws. They feed on faces, insects, and seeds. Lyrebirds prefer dense forests or dense scrub.

To attract a female, the male makes a round mound on which he lek - he sings almost all day, and also dances and shows his main decoration - a magnificent flowing tail. Moreover, males open their tail above themselves, hiding almost entirely under it. The female builds a ball-shaped nest on the ground or in trees and incubates her offspring, always with only one egg.

Lyrebirds are shy birds, quickly hiding and hiding in a hidden place. You can see birds in all their glory in Dandenong National Park, the suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne, or in the zoos of Australian cities.

Lyrebird in Australian life

The lyrebird is an Australian symbol. Tail images are often used in logos and emblems of various events and organizations. The name of the bird is also used in company names. The lyrebird is featured on the 10 cent coin and on the $100 bill.

Detachment- Passeriformes

Family— Lyrebirds

Genus/Species— Menura novaehollandiae. Lyrebird or a lyre bird

Basic data:

DIMENSIONS

Length: male with tail 80-100 cm, female 74-86 cm.

Weight: male almost 1.2 kg, female no more than 950 g.

BREEDING

Puberty: male from 3-9 years old, female earlier.

Nesting period: from May.

Carrying: 1 per season.

Number of eggs: 1.

Incubation: 50 days.

Feeding chicks: 6-7 weeks.

Food: insects, worms and other invertebrates living in the ground or under the bark.

Lifespan: up to 15 years old.

RELATED SPECIES

Only one more species belongs to this small family - the northern lyrebird.

Lyrebird is similar in size to a pheasant, but it belongs to the passerines. Its body is covered with grayish-brown plumage, and the beautiful tail plumage of the male serves to attract females.

Appearance of a lyrebird bird

The size of a lyrebird is no larger than a pheasant. The length of the bird's body along with the tail is about one meter, the weight is one kilogram. Oval wings, brown plumage framing the upper body, feathers on the back of the head, head and neck are gray. Legs are high and strong.

Attention in appearance birds are attracted by the tail, consisting of sixteen feathers. The curvature of the tail feathers along the edge gives the tail the silhouette of a lyre, with a veil of the rest of the silvery tail feathers.

Only males aged seven years and older have such a rich original plumage. During this period, the tail of the bird grows and forms. All other individuals and females have a normal brown tail.

Onomatopoeia, singing abilities of the bird are unique. Lyrebird is able to transmit the sounds made by animals, birds, motors of cars, motorcycles. Every morning this wonderful bird practices its vocals. In the mating season, these features become especially expressive.

Lifestyle

Lyrebird habitat

Where does the lyrebird live? The bird lives only in Australia, in the southeast, from Brisbane to Melbourne. It is mainly concentrated in the national parks of Dandenong and Kinglake, etc., and in the suburbs of Melbourne and Sydney. In 1934, the species was brought to Tasmania.

The lyrebird tends to stick to tropical rainforests overgrown with shrubs, in which it is easy to hide. The number of lyrebirds is relatively low for a bird population.

Reproduction and lifespan

The most interesting in the mating games of these birds are dances. The male, having previously collected a small mound under him, climbed up on it, throws back his chic tail in front of him, and begins to sing.

The singing is not only loud, but also melodic, which undoubtedly impresses the females. After a while, several females gather around the male ready to mate with him.

After mating, the female starts building the nest. It consists of twigs, moss and dry leaves. The bottom is lined with down, feathers and roots. Most often, nesting is located right in the earthen hole or on the top of the stump, not so often at a height.

The clutch is limited to one egg, gray with spots. Hatching takes almost two months. During this period, the female leaves the egg every day to feed.

The chick hatches blind and without plumage, only after ten days it is covered with down, until that moment it is warmed by the warmth of its mother. Feeding continues for several weeks. The chick feeds mainly on succulent larvae.

After fifty days, the young lyrebird begins to emerge from the nest. But for another six months, remaining near the mother, gaining experience. Only then does life begin. This serious moment comes at the beginning of the new season.

After 3 years, females reach full maturity, males later - after a few years, having previously grown a much-needed tail. As a rule, lyrebirds live up to fifteen years - this is good for birds. They live even longer in captivity.

Did you know?

The loud singing of a current male lyrebird is carried up to a kilometer away.
The song of the lyrebird consists of 80% of the sounds heard by this bird. Most often these are the voices of other birds, but here you can hear a car signal, a locomotive whistle, a dog barking or, say, a bell ringing. The female can also imitate sounds, only her voice is quieter.
In some parts of Australia, lyrebirds are so accustomed to the presence of a person that they trustfully allow people to watch their display. One such place is Forest Park near Melbourne.
The lyrebird got its name from unusual shape tail, the extreme pair of regular feathers of which is curved in the form of a lyre. The rest of the tail feathers are very thin and really resemble strings.

What does it eat

Lyrebird is a bird that is active during the day. It belongs to the order of passeriformes, but with strong legs and claws, it digs up the earth and leaves, as do the galliformes. The lyrebird rakes a layer of fallen leaves and looks for invertebrates, such as centipedes, in it.

The diet of the lyrebird includes insect larvae, earthworms, terrestrial crustaceans, molluscs and other invertebrates that inhabit the forest floor.

Keeping a lyrebird at home

The aviary is required to be of sufficient size, the cage is poorly suited for keeping such a bird - it will be cramped - the tail will definitely not fluff. She is used to walking, moving a lot - she will be forced to sit in a cage, which will make her sick.

The crate for the aviary is best made of wood - the metal oxidizes and adversely affects the bird's body. In extreme cases, you can use stainless steel. The gap between the bars should not be more than a couple of centimeters, otherwise the bird, sticking its head between them, may suffocate.

It is necessary to equip all the conditions for comfort - feeders, drinkers and a removable tray. It should be comfortable for both the pet and the owner. It is better to do without unnecessary elements like nests, mirrors, etc.

It is desirable to feed them with live food, mainly earthworms, grasshoppers and various larvae. You can add some grains to the diet, because in winter there is a problem with live food.

Video

Sources

http://thewildlife.ru/ptitsy/obyknovennyy-lirokhvost/