Albert's lyrebird

Species of bird

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 lyrebirds, Albert's lyrebird is named after Prince Albert, the prince consort of Queen Victoria, queen of the United Kingdom. It lacks the elegant lyre shaped tail feathers of the superb lyrebird 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

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 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. as well as whipbirds 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 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. Although the species was still widespread in lowland areas at the beginning of the 20th century,

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 and Springbrook National Park in the east, to the McPherson Range in the west. Isolated populations exist in Mount Barney National Park and on the Main Range. The largest single population is found on the Lamington Plateau. Albert's lyrebirds were formerly recorded from the Sunshine Coast hinterland and from the D'Aguilar Ranges but have since disappeared from these areas. In New South Wales it is found only in the far north of the Northern Rivers region, along the Border Ranges and in Nightcap National Park in the east, possibly as far west as Koreelah National Park. A large concentration is found in the Mount Warning area. Isolated populations may still exist in remnant rainforest patches as far south as Wardell. Data on territory sizes has only been recorded for males. Male territories are said to usually comprise an area of There is no evidence of any lasting pair bond between the male and female. 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;

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 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.