The superb lyrebird is a large, ground-dwelling songbird of southeastern Australia’s forests. Males are famous for their elaborate tails, dances and extraordinary mimicry.
Interesting facts
- The male’s tail has 16 feathers, including two outer feathers shaped like a lyre.
- Males sing and dance on display mounds, raising their tails over their heads.
- Most of a lyrebird’s song is made up of other species’ calls.
- By raking the forest floor, lyrebirds move huge amounts of soil and leaf litter, reducing fuel for bushfires.
- The superb lyrebird appears on the Australian ten-cent coin.
- Lyrebirds are among the oldest songbird lineages.
Behaviour
Lyrebirds forage by scratching through leaf litter with their powerful feet. Males sing most intensely in winter, the breeding season, from display mounds in their territories.
Breeding and young
The female builds a large, domed nest and lays a single egg, which she incubates for about 50 days. The chick stays in the nest for about six to seven weeks, cared for only by its mother.
Threats and conservation
The species is secure but is threatened locally by bushfires, predation by foxes and cats, and habitat loss. The 2019–20 bushfires burned a large part of its range.
Where to see it
- Sherbrooke Forest, Dandenong Ranges, Victoria
- Blue Mountains National Park, New South Wales
- Royal National Park, south of Sydney
- Healesville Sanctuary, Victoria
Status source: IUCN Red List. Profile last reviewed September 2026.
