Albert's lyrebird (''Menura alberti'') is a timid,
pheasant
Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family (biology), family Phasianidae in the order (biology), order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera na ...
-sized
songbird
A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds (Passeriformes). Another name that is sometimes seen as the scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin ''oscen'', "songbird". The Passeriformes contains 500 ...
which is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to
subtropical
The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Geographical z ...
rainforests of
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, in a small area on the state border between
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
and
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
. The rarer of the two species of
lyrebird
A lyrebird is either of two species of ground-dwelling Australian birds that compose the genus ''Menura'', and the family Menuridae. They are most notable for their impressive ability to mimic natural and artificial sounds from their environme ...
s, Albert's lyrebird is named after
Prince Albert, the prince consort of
Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...
, queen of the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
. It lacks the elegant
lyre
The lyre () is a stringed musical instrument that is classified by Hornbostel–Sachs as a member of the lute-family of instruments. In organology, a lyre is considered a yoke lute, since it is a lute in which the strings are attached to a yoke ...
-shaped tail feathers of the
superb lyrebird
The superb lyrebird (''Menura novaehollandiae'') is an Australian songbird, one of two species from the family Menuridae. It is one of the world's largest songbirds, and is renowned for its elaborate tail and courtship displays, and its excell ...
and is found in a much more restricted range.
In the past, Albert's lyrebirds were shot to be eaten in pies, to supply tail-feathers to "globe-trotting curio-hunters" or by vandals.
The total population of Albert's lyrebirds is estimated at only 3,500 breeding birds
and it has one of the smallest distributional ranges of any bird on the continent.
[Gilmore, A. (2000). "Distributional ecology of the Albert's Lyrebird, Menura alberti, in north-east New South Wales." Astheimer, L.B. & M.F. Clarke, eds. ''The 2nd Southern Hemisphere Ornithological Congress. Birds Australia Report Series 9.'']
Description
Albert's lyrebird is a ground-dwelling bird. Females reach approximately in length and males reach about . They have a wingspan of and weigh about . They are chestnut-brown in colour with a
rufous
Rufous () is a color that may be described as reddish-brown or brownish-red, as of rust or oxidised iron. The first recorded use of ''rufous'' as a color name in English was in 1782. However, the color is also recorded earlier in 1527 as a dia ...
undertail, rump, and throat. The bill is black; the iris dark brown or black, and it has a broad, blue-grey ring around the eye. The legs and feet are brownish grey to dark grey or black.
The sexes are alike except for the shape of the tail. The male has a spectacular tail composed of: (1) a central pair of long ribbon-like dark-brown median plumes; (2) six pairs of long, filmy and luxuriant filamentary feathers, which are black-brown above and dark grey below; and (3) a long broad fully webbed outermost pair of lyrates, which are black-brown above and dark grey below.
The tail of the female is shorter, simpler, slightly drooping and appears more pointed when closed; it is composed of a pair of long, narrow and tapered median plumes, and fully webbed, broad, brown feathers with rounded tips, but lacks filamentaries. When walking, the male carries its tail in an upward-curving train.
Juveniles are separable from adults at close range. They are similar to the adult female, but can be distinguished by: (1) the richer and more uniform rufous-brown colouring on the chin, throat and foreneck, and brighter red-brown wash on the forehead and forecrown; (2) the slightly paler upperbody; (3) the softer, downy texture of the rump, lower belly and vent feathers; and, most importantly, (4) the tail feathers (excluding the central pair of medians) are distinctly narrower, more tapered and pointed.
Voice
Both this species and the
superb lyrebird
The superb lyrebird (''Menura novaehollandiae'') is an Australian songbird, one of two species from the family Menuridae. It is one of the world's largest songbirds, and is renowned for its elaborate tail and courtship displays, and its excell ...
have powerful, flexible voices and use a mixture of their own calls and mimicry of other species in long unbroken passages of song. In comparison to the superb lyrebird, the Albert's lyrebird limits its mimicry to a smaller range of species, with the
green catbird
The green catbird (''Ailuroedus crassirostris'') is a species of bowerbird found in subtropical forests along the east coast of Australia, from southeastern Queensland to southern New South Wales. It is named after its distinctive call which soun ...
and
satin bowerbird
The satin bowerbird (''Ptilonorhynchus violaceus'') is a bowerbird endemic to eastern Australia.
A rare natural hybrid (biology), intergeneric hybrid between the satin bowerbird and the regent bowerbird is known as Rawnsley's bowerbird.
Descrip ...
featuring strongly in its imitations,
[Morcombe, M. (2003) ''Field Guide to Australian Birds'' Australia: Steve Parish Publishing 2nd edition, p. 214 ] as well as
whipbirds
Psophodidae is a family of passerine birds native to Australia and nearby areas. It has a complicated taxonomic history and different authors vary in which birds they include in the family. In the strictest sense, it includes only the 5 or 6 spec ...
and rosellas.
The voice can create sounds at one moment deep and resonant, switch to high thin squeaks and trills, then change again to harsh noises. Some of the passages of song begin with a soft, mellow sound that rises clearer and louder, which has been likened to the howl of a
dingo
The dingo (''Canis familiaris'', ''Canis familiaris dingo'', ''Canis dingo'', or ''Canis lupus dingo'') is an ancient (Basal (phylogenetics), basal) lineage of dog found in Australia (continent), Australia. Its taxonomic classification is de ...
.
The Albert's lyrebird's own song shows geographic variation, and different populations can be distinguished by this variation in song.
The mimicry is arranged into sequences that are repeated with only moderate variations. The males learn these sequences from other lyrebirds through social transmission, so that males within a location share the same sequence of mimetic songs.
The males call for many hours a day during the peak of the winter breeding season and are quiet at other times. In alarm, the birds give a shrill shriek. Even when calling strongly, this shy and elusive species is not easily sighted in the dense tangled vegetation of its habitat with dim light and the birds notoriously wary.
Habitat and distribution
![Albert's lyrebird](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Albert%27s_lyrebird.jpg)
The extent of the Albert lyrebird's distribution has apparently declined significantly following European settlement. Much of the lyrebird's habitat was cleared during the 19th century.
[Garnett, S.T. & G.M. Crowley (2000). ''The Action Plan for Australian Birds 2000.'' nline Canberra, ACT: Environment Australia and Birds Australia. Available from: .] Although the species was still widespread in lowland areas at the beginning of the 20th century,
the continued clearing of habitat since then has driven most populations into higher altitude forests, usually at least 300 metres above sea level.
[Higgins, P.J., J.M. Peter & W.K. Steele, eds. (2001). ''Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 5: Tyrant-flycatchers to Chats.'' Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press.]
The bird's distribution is now restricted to several small areas of mountain ranges in the vicinity of far south-east Queensland and far north-east New South Wales; with much of the remaining habitat occurring in reserves. In Queensland, the Albert's lyrebird is found from
Tamborine Mountain
Tamborine Mountain is a plateau and locality in the Scenic Rim Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Tamborine Mountain had a population of 7,506 people.
Geography
The plateau is a , . The name is from the of Yugumbir language of the Wanger ...
and
Springbrook National Park
The Springbrook National Park is a protected national park that is located in the Gold Coast hinterland of Queensland, Australia. The park is situated on the McPherson Range, near Springbrook, approximately south of Brisbane. The park is part ...
in the east, to the
McPherson Range
The McPherson Range is an extensive mountain range, a spur of the Great Dividing Range, heading in an easterly direction from near Wallangarra to the Pacific Ocean coastline. It forms part of the Scenic Rim on the border between the states of Ne ...
in the west. Isolated populations exist in
Mount Barney National Park
Mount Barney National Park is a national park in Queensland (Australia), 90 km southwest of Brisbane. It amalgamated the adjacent Mount Lindesay (Queensland), Mount Lindesay National Park in 1980. It is part of the Scenic Rim Important Bird ...
and on the
Main Range. The largest single population is found on the
Lamington Plateau
The Lamington National Park is a national park, lying on the Lamington Plateau of the McPherson Range on the Queensland/New South Wales border in Australia. From Southport on the Gold Coast the park is to the southwest and Brisbane is north. T ...
. Albert's lyrebirds were formerly recorded from the
Sunshine Coast hinterland and from the
D'Aguilar Range
The D'Aguilar Range is a mountain range near Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The town of Dayboro, Queensland, Dayboro is situated on the lower foothills midway along the range and the Sunshine Coast Hinterland town of Mooloolah, Queensland, ...
s but have since disappeared from these areas.
In New South Wales it is found only in the far north of the
Northern Rivers
Northern Rivers is the most north-easterly region of the Australian state of New South Wales, located between north of the state capital, Sydney, and encompasses the catchments and fertile valleys of the Clarence, Richmond, and Tweed rivers. ...
region, along the
Border Ranges and in
Nightcap National Park
The Nightcap National Park is a national park situated within the Nightcap Range in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. The park was created in April 1983 and is situated north of . The national park is classed by the IUC ...
in the east, possibly as far west as
Koreelah National Park
Koreelah is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 631 km north of Sydney. The park is part of the Scenic Rim Important Bird Area, identified as such by BirdLife International because of its importance in the conservation of severa ...
. A large concentration is found in the
Mount Warning
Mount Warning ( Bundjalung: ''Wollumbin''), a mountain in the Tweed Range in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia, was formed from a volcanic plug of the now-gone Tweed Volcano. The mountain is located west-south-west of Mu ...
area. Isolated populations may still exist in remnant rainforest patches as far south as
Wardell.
The birds have a preference for
rainforest
Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...
with a dense understorey of vines and shrubs, or
wet sclerophyll forest with a dense understorey of rainforest plants, including temperate rainforest. They are occasionally recorded in areas with mixed
eucalypt
Eucalypt is a descriptive name for woody plants with capsule fruiting bodies belonging to seven closely related genera (of the tribe Eucalypteae) found across Australasia:
''Eucalyptus'', '' Corymbia'', '' Angophora'', ''Stockwellia'', ''Allosyn ...
forest, with a
mesic understorey, around gullies and lower slopes, and with small amounts of rainforest in wet gullies.
The composition of plant species within these forests does not appear to be important except that a canopy of eucalypts is always associated with higher population densities when compared to rainforests that lack eucalypts (at sites with equivalent climates). Population densities increase along a gradient of increasing rainfall and decreasing mean annual temperature; with decreasing moisture index, the density of males declines and individuals become increasingly restricted to areas around gullies. In comparisons of wet sclerophyll forest and rainforest with equivalent climate and moisture index, higher densities always occur in wet sclerophyll forest and are associated with the greater weights of litter and logs and slower rates of litter decomposition.
Steep moist valleys and other areas that are physically or geographically protected from wildfire are likely to offer important refuge habitat.
Albert's lyrebird usually occurs singly or in pairs, or rarely in groups of three. It is sedentary (non-
migratory), and remains in the same general area year-round. Males are territorial during the breeding season.
Females seem to have their own separate territories, which partly overlap that of the male, and which they defend as feeding grounds rather than as the centre of a mating site.
[Morcombe, M. (2003) ''Field Guide to Australian Birds'' Australia: Steve Parish Publishing 2nd edition, p. 384 ] Data on territory sizes has only been recorded for males. Male territories are said to usually comprise an area of .
Breeding and life cycle
The mating system of Albert's lyrebird is unknown;
although the male courtship display has been well documented. The male birds use a flat piece of ground from which all debris has been raked for a stage, rather than a mound of debris as used by the superb lyrebird. In display, the male initially raises his tail to arch forwards above the head, then gradually lowers and shimmers it forwards until the bird is enveloped beneath the veil of fine bushy filaments, these are silvery with the shiny white underside of the plumes uppermost.
[Morcombe, M. (2003) ''Field Guide to Australian Birds'' Australia: Steve Parish Publishing 2nd edition, p. 215 ] There is no evidence of any lasting pair-bond between the male and female.
Throughout the species' range, eggs have been recorded from late May to mid-August. They nest beneath the canopy, usually in the darkest areas of the forest. Nests are often located in rocky areas, usually on ledges, in clefts or between rocks, or occasionally in caves, on rock or cliff-faces, or in deep rocky ravines; nests in such places are sometimes located near waterfalls. Nests may also be placed in a variety of other sites, including on the ground on steep slopes, on creek banks, between
buttress roots
Buttress roots also known as plank roots are large, wide roots on all sides of a shallowly rooted tree. Typically, they are found in nutrient-poor tropical forest soils that may not be very deep. They prevent the tree from falling over (hence t ...
of fig (''
Ficus
''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species extending in ...
'') trees, amongst tree stumps, at the base of palm trees, amongst ferns, in dense shrubs or occasionally in tree forks.
Females sometimes nest close to sites used the previous year; occasionally, nest-sites may be re-used. The female alone builds the dome-shaped nest, which has a side entrance; it is composed of sticks, fern fronds, rootlets, bark, pieces of palm leaf and moss, and is lined with moss, fine plant material, and feathers. Construction of the nest may take at least three weeks.
The overall appearance is rather like a pile of accumulated rainforest debris, which makes the nest quite inconspicuous.
Clutch-size is a single egg. The eggs can vary greatly in colour and, sometimes, shape, but are usually shaded brown or grey with spots and blotches, and sometimes other markings, of varying tones of brown and grey. The female incubates the eggs and feeds and broods the nestlings without any help from the male. The young
fledge
Fledging is the stage in a flying animal's life between hatching or birth and becoming capable of flight.
This term is most frequently applied to birds, but is also used for bats. For altricial birds, those that spend more time in vulnerable c ...
at approximately five and a half weeks. No information is available on breeding success, but it is claimed that a maximum of one brood may be reared in a season.
Feeding
Albert's lyrebird appears to feed mainly on insects (including beetles) and their larvae, and other soil-dwelling invertebrates. They usually find food on the ground, particularly in areas with deep moist leaf litter and fallen logs,
but they also forage occasionally in epiphytic ferns.
[Loyn, R.H. & J.A. Loyn (2002). "Albert's lyrebird foraging from epiphytes in rainforest sub-canopy." ''Australian Bird Watcher.'' 19:203-4.] They typically forage in areas that are rather open and lack dense shrub cover but have well developed taller strata. When foraging on the ground they scratch among debris, turn over leaves and dig into soil in search of invertebrate prey;
birds foraging in ephiphytes were observed scratching and pecking.
Threats
In New South Wales, the birds are listed as least concern under the ''
Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995
The ''Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 (TSC Act)'' was enacted by the Parliament of New South Wales in 1995 to protect threatened species, populations and ecological communities in NSW. In 2016 it was replaced by the '' Biodiversity Co ...
'' (New South Wales), as of December 2013, and in Queensland they are listed as
near threatened
A near-threatened species is a species which has been categorized as "Near Threatened" (NT) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as that may be vulnerable to endangerment in the near future, but it does not currently qualify fo ...
under the ''
Nature Conservation Act 1992
The ''Nature Conservation Act 1992'' is an act of the Parliament of Queensland, Australia, that, together with subordinate legislation, provides for the legislative protection of Queensland's threatened biota.
As originally published, it prov ...
'' (Queensland), as of July 2012.
The major threats to Albert's lyrebird include the intense management of forests and the replacement of optimal habitat with plantations of unsuitable species, such as eucalypts or
hoop pine
''Araucaria cunninghamii'' is a species of '' Araucaria'' known as hoop pine. Other less commonly used names include colonial pine, Queensland pine, Dorrigo pine, Moreton Bay pine and Richmond River pine. The scientific name honours the botanist ...
s;
invasion of logged or otherwise damaged habitat by weeds, especially ''
Lantana camara
''Lantana camara'' (common lantana) is a species of flowering plant within the verbena family (Verbenaceae), native to the American tropics. It is a very adaptable species, which can inhabit a wide variety of ecosystems; once it has been introduc ...
'', which reduces suitability of the habitat; damage to habitat by grazing stock; encroachment of urban or rural development close to habitat of Albert's lyrebirds; and predation by introduced
red fox
The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the Order (biology), order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe ...
es (''Vulpes vulpes''), feral dogs and
cats
The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of t ...
, and domestic dogs and cats, where the birds are located close to human settlements.
Some isolated populations are threatened simply because they are so small, and because population densities are lower than expected in optimal habitats close to areas of human settlement.
Global warming
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
and its anticipated effects (habitat change, alteration to fire frequency/intensity) could be a potential threat to the lyrebird in the future and large-scale fires could potentially impact upon the entire population.
Because the range of the species is confined to such a small geographic area, a threatening event, such as a severe regional drought, has the potential to affect all individuals.
References
External links
*ARKive
images and movies of the Albert's lyrebird ''(Menura alberti)''*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060507061311/http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/nature_conservation/wildlife/threatened_plants_and_animals/endangered/the_alberts_lyrebird_project/ Albert's lyrebird conservation project] - Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service
Photos, audio and video of Albert's lyrebirdfrom
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a member-supported unit of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, which studies birds and other wildlife. It is housed in the Imogene Powers Johnson Center for Birds and Biodiversity in Sapsucker Woods Sanctuar ...
's Macaulay Library
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1073505
Albert's lyrebird
Albert's lyrebird (''Menura alberti'') is a timid, pheasant-sized songbird which is endemic to subtropical rainforests of Australia, in a small area on the state border between New South Wales and Queensland. The rarer of the two species of lyrebi ...
Endemic birds of Australia
Birds of New South Wales
Birds of Queensland
Vulnerable fauna of Australia
Albert's lyrebird
Albert's lyrebird (''Menura alberti'') is a timid, pheasant-sized songbird which is endemic to subtropical rainforests of Australia, in a small area on the state border between New South Wales and Queensland. The rarer of the two species of lyrebi ...
Albert's lyrebird
Albert's lyrebird (''Menura alberti'') is a timid, pheasant-sized songbird which is endemic to subtropical rainforests of Australia, in a small area on the state border between New South Wales and Queensland. The rarer of the two species of lyrebi ...
Articles containing video clips