Lyrebirds

	· The lyrebird is one of the largest perching bird and got its name from the lyre, a musical instrument	Click here for Lyrebird photos!
	· They have a small head, long neck, long legs, large feet with long powerful claws and a long tail
	· Both male and females have brown plumage (feathers)
	· Females have a long tail, but they barely show signs of the developments found in males
	· The male is larger than the female and has also a longer tail. The tail consists of 16 lacy plumes, brown above and white below and 2 banded, curved, outer plumes
	· When the tail of the male is raised during courtship and expanded during display, it gives the appearance of a lyre with the gracefully curved outer plumes forming the framework. This dance is accompanied by elaborate vocalising
	· Although the bird can fly, it seldom does, as it can run quite quickly

· The lyrebird inhabits forests and scrublands, where it feeds on small land animals, mainly insects, worms and crustaceans

· There are two species of lyrebird. The superb lyrebird, about the size of a rooster, is brown above and ash below. It has a long, pointed bill, a longish neck, and large, strong legs and feet with which it runs swiftly. The Albert's lyrebird is smaller

· They are shy and hard to see in their habitat, but have a loud penetrating song and are very good at mimicking the songs of others birds and also the human voice
· The female lays her purplish-grey blotched single egg in a bulky domed nest, usually built on the ground by the female who gets no help from the male
· During the 1800's many lyrebirds were killed for their splendid tail plumes, now however, they are protected by law
· The lyrebird appears on many Australian government seals and on certain stamps