lyrebird songs

[walkon]

My lovely wife and I went walking at a nearby reserve Today and the lyrebirds were in full song. One particular bird was doing perfect mimicry of a variety of other birds in the area. We heard the lyrebird sing a currawong, magpie, galah, cockatoo, whip, parrot, bellbird, kookaburra were the ones we recognised and could put names to amongst others. We listened for about 10 minutes before moving on with the bird still in full song.
Each time it let rip with the kookaburra call the resident kookas all answered back. It put a big smile on our faces at the time.

[vicrev]

The last time I heard a Lyrebird medley,he finished it off with a chainsaw imitation,made my day.......

[jackhinde]

Lyrebirds in Belanglo state forest attempt to copy the pistol shots they hear at the pistol club range, though curiously those in the Nattai valley near the hilltop rifle range don't seem to do gun shots.
Have any of you Tasmanians heard a lyrebird imitate a whip bird? It has been claimed that the introduced lyrebirds have passed down this sound through generations without being exposed to this particular bird call.

[MickyB]

Each time it let rip with the kookaburra call the resident kookas all answered back.

The last time I heard a Lyrebird medley,he finished it off with a chainsaw imitation,made my day.......

I think the two of you have been watching the same David Attenborough doco

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSB71jNq-yQ

[Tortoise]

I enjoyed a lovely concert the other day on a little walk on the NSW central coast. One of my favourites is the sound of rosellas in flight coming from ground level.

[vicrev]

Each time it let rip with the kookaburra call the resident kookas all answered back.

The last time I heard a Lyrebird medley,he finished it off with a chainsaw imitation,made my day.......

I think the two of you have been watching the same David Attenborough doco

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSB71jNq-yQ

So,what exactly are you saying,I did not hear it ?,I am imagining it?,I am telling porky pies ? David Attenborough as yet, does not have a copyright on noises birds/animals make......please explain........If it was a response in jest,fair enough, but,please do not make me a target of ridicule, if that was the intention........

[MickyB]

Gee. Lighten up mate. It was a joke

[juxtaposer]

I've heard lyre birds imitate chainsaws and bulldozers. Only a few days ago in the South East Forests National Park I heard (and saw) a male whip bird call, but I'm certain it was a lyre bird that responded because the female response was prefaced with the male call (that is to say that the same bird responded to the original call with both male and female calls). The male whip bird wasn't falling for it and took off in the opposite direction when eventually a female did respond.

[vicrev]

I've heard lyre birds imitate chainsaws and bulldozers. Only a few days ago in the South East Forests National Park I heard (and saw) a male whip bird call, but I'm certain it was a lyre bird that responded because the female response was prefaced with the male call (that is to say that the same bird responded to the original call with both male and female calls). The male whip bird wasn't falling for it and took off in the opposite direction when eventually a female did respond.

Hope David Attenborough was there to witness it !.....

[walkon]

Growing up on the farm a number of times we heard livestock in the Bush when we were rounding up, either cattle or sheep. So off we went into the Bush to get them only to find out it was a lyrebird. Certainly live up to their name at times.

[Zone-5]

The Adelaide zoo had 'Chook' the Lyrebird mimic. His cage was renewed by a team of tradies. After that he would entertain the crowd with renditions of drills, men swearing, hammering, sawing and a whole host of building site sounds... amazing stuff!

[walkon]

Rip chook
May there be many working tradies and other interesting sounds to mimic in heaven

[MickyB]

amazing stuff!

Yep. Very much so. I could listen to that all day. They are amazing birds. We drove along Acheron Way, north of Warburton, about a fortnight ago and although we didn't hear any we saw about 40 within 10kms - all darting across the road in front of the car. We saw similar numbers last year near Tarra Bulga N.P. I often hear them in Sherbrooke Forest, especially in areas where there are less tourists.

Certainly live up to their name at times.

Lyrebirds actually get their name from a musical instrument called a lyre and not from it's ability to mimic.

Hope David Attenborough was there to witness it !.....

Here is some unseen footage from David Attenborough's doco
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=14&v=KOFy8QkNWWs

[Orion]

I would love to see/hear one of these birds in person.
Where are a few good places to go to observe Lyre birds?
Are they difficult to find in Tasmania?

[devoswitch]

I never even knew they were in Tasmania and now see them all the time. As previous poster has said they are always darting across the track or usually road in front of the car. Just last weekend I saw maybe 20 while heading up into the Hartz mountains from Geeveston.

[north-north-west]

Some idiots thought it would be a good idea to bring a few down here to 'add' to the island's attractiveness. Think they were only released at Mt Field, but they've spread. Mt Field is still the best chance of seeing one in Tassie. They tend to hang out in the forests in that area.

edit: Ohhh, and at Hastings as well. I think. Explains why they've popped up at Hartz.

Last edited by north-north-west on Tue 19 May, 2015 5:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[neilmny]

I would love to see/hear one of these birds in person.
Where are a few good places to go to observe Lyre birds?
Are they difficult to find in Tasmania?

There's plenty in the Dandenongs, just listen for a whole stack of different birds that seem to be coming from the one spot in the bush. Approach very slowly and quietly keeping an eye out for that distinctive tail moving about.

[vicrev]

Some idiots thought it would be a good idea to bring a few down here to 'add' to the island's attractiveness. Think they were only released at Mt Field, but they've spread. Mt Field is still the best chance of seeing one in Tassie. They tend to hang out in the forests in that area.

edit: Ohhh, and at Hastings as well. I think. Explains why they've popped up at Hartz.

Was the release Tas gov sponsored,or just stupid people ?.....seems like it's the rabbit,fox,cane toad thing all over again ?.........Just curious..

[MickyB]

Some idiots thought it would be a good idea to bring a few down here to 'add' to the island's attractiveness. Think they were only released at Mt Field, but they've spread. Mt Field is still the best chance of seeing one in Tassie. They tend to hang out in the forests in that area.

edit: Ohhh, and at Hastings as well. I think. Explains why they've popped up at Hartz.

Was the release Tas gov sponsored,or just stupid people ?.....seems like it's the rabbit,fox,cane toad thing all over again ?.........Just curious..

http://dpipwe.tas.gov.au/Documents/Fera ... smania.pdf

Introduced to Tasmania (then fox-free) primarily due to fears that foxes and habitat loss would cause species’ extinction on mainland.
In Tasmania, total of 22 lyrebirds released at Mt Field National Park from 1934–49 and at Hastings Caves in 1945.

[MickyB]

Have any of you Tasmanians heard a lyrebird imitate a whip bird? It has been claimed that the introduced lyrebirds have passed down this sound through generations without being exposed to this particular bird call.

I hadn't heard of that before jackhinde. Very interesting. There is discussions about it at this site:

http://birding-aus.org/superb-lyrebirds ... d-species/

[vicrev]

Thanks for the info,MickyB.......interesting

Last edited by vicrev on Tue 19 May, 2015 9:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Strider]

I have seen two lyrebirds in Tassie. One on the Fourteen Mile Rd, and the other I cannot recall the location but certainly not Mt Field or Hastings.

[neilmny]

Visited Mt St. Leonard and Mt Donna Buang today and between the two locations saw 6 Lyrebirds, all females and 3 of them were standing beside the road in the one location having a pow pow of some sort.
The is no shortage of them around the local ranges in Melbourne.

[Snowzone]

Seen a few at Murrindindi Scenic Reserve last weekend. No shortage of them up near the Bluff over Easter as well, and yes they don't just mimic birds.

[jackhinde]

I must admit they aren't that special around here (my favourite bird species though). I see them just about every morning and afternoon, as would most in these parts who commute out of the valley. They cause a bit of havoc in gardens around the edge of the valley. Another mimic that frequents my yard is the satin bower bird, which can do a commendable kookaburra and wattle bird.

[puredingo]

Not wrong there, Jack. They are an absolute dime a dozen around here at the moment (The Illawarra) which is really suprising that it took the new settlers so long to discover them. I find it hard to believe they were rarer back in the day, I'd imagine they would be fox fodder number one now.

[walkon]

Yeah they certainly aren't rare though they are one of the little gems in the Bush

[neilmny]

A friend of ours has chickens that from time to time get into the veggie patch and wreak havoc.........she's just lucky they aren't Lyrebirds.
I watched one (At Murrundindi reserve as a matter of fact) grabbing great clumps of growing well attached grass and effortlessly pulling them out of the ground.
That's a trick I haven't seen a chook do.

[skibug]

Lyrebirds are awesome.

Lots of lyrebirds around Crosslands Reserve, north of Hornsby in Sydney. Over the years I've also observed many in the stretch between the bottom of the Golden Stairs and the Ruined Castle, in the Blue Mountains. But they seem pretty well dispersed around NSW wherever you go. You don't seem to see them as often in bush near residential areas, I assume they're easy prey for dogs and cats.

About 20 years ago my wife and I were doing the South Coast track, starting at Mallacoota heading north, and in a very isolated area, whilst having dinner, heard fireworks! I went for a wander, and saw a lyrebird scuttle into the bushes 50 metres ahead of me. To this day I'm surprised anyone would be setting off fireworks in the area (for the bird to mimic), yet I never came up with a better explanation other than it was the bird.

At Adelaide zoo, we were stuck in a long line next to the lyrebird cage, waiting our turn for the Pandas. The bird was making this strange crashing sound, which I didn't comprehend, until a keeper came entered at the back of the cage, and let the automatic-shutting door slam behind him - exactly the same sound.

I was also once astonished to realise that the kookaburras several kilometres away, their calls somewhat airy and echoing in the distance, were actually a lyrebird 50 metres away. He had mastered "kookaburra's in the distance".

I love also that their native call is a kind of laser gun. They are lovely creatures, and their mimicry often makes me laugh.

Skibug.

[neilmny]

I had one do that laser/screech sound at me one day, he/she was telling me in no uncertain terms I wasn't welcome in the area.
There was what I assume to be a pair and they flew off from behind a stump, landing on a low limb not very far away as I approached.
One returned for the metioned unwelcoming display. I guessed there may be a nest nearby.
It's was ear piercing, I was surpised how brave the little fella was as it came to within a about 2 metres of me until a I wandered off.
He/she even paralleled me down the track until sure I was going away.