What is the Albert's lyrebird?
Q: What is the Albert's lyrebird?
A: The Albert's lyrebird (Menura alberti) is a pheasant-sized songbird, about 90 cm long, with brown upper body feathers and rich chestnut below. It is very similar to the superb lyrebird in its habits.
Q: Where can Albert's lyrebirds be found?
A: Albert's lyrebirds are only found in a small area of rainforest in the Lamington National Park near the border of Queensland and New South Wales. There are also reports of them being seen in the Blackall Range, but this has not been confirmed. Known groups of birds live on Tamborine Mountain, Scenic Rim and the Nightcap Range.
Q: What do Albert's Lyrebirds eat?
A: They eat small insects which they scratch up from the ground.
Q: How do they breed?
A: During the breeding season in winter, from May to August, the male bird performs displays of song and dance to attract females. The songs are copied from other birds and forest sounds and can last up to four hours with some individual songs lasting up to one hour. During his dance, he raises his tail feathers up and over his body forming a lyre shape which is why they were given their name "lyrebird".
Q: Why is it listed as a Vulnerable species?
A: It is listed as a Vulnerable species because it lives in such a limited area, it can only eat a small range of food from that area, and it is not breeding quickly enough for its population size to remain stable or increase significantly over time.
