Albert's Lyrebird

Identification

Albert's lyrebird is a ground-dwelling bird. Females reach approximately 75 cm (30 in) in length and males reach about 90 cm (35 in). They have a wingspan of 76–79 cm (30–31 in) and weigh about 930 g (33 oz). 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.<p>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.<p>The tail of the female is shorter, simpler, slightly drooping and appears more pointed when closed; it is composed of a pair of long, narrow and tapered median plumes, and fully webbed, broad, brown feathers with rounded tips, but lacks filamentaries. When walking, the male carries its tail in an upward-curving train.<p>Juveniles are separable from adults at close range. They are similar to the adult female, but can be distinguished by: (1) the richer and more uniform rufous-brown colouring on the chin, throat and foreneck, and brighter red-brown wash on the forehead and forecrown; (2) the slightly paler upperbody; (3) the softer, downy texture of the rump, lower belly and vent feathers; and, most importantly, (4) the tail feathers (excluding the central pair of medians) are distinctly narrower, more tapered and pointed.

Taxonomy

Scientific name

Menura alberti

Authority

Bonaparte, 1850

Order

Passeriformes

Family

Menuridae

Genus

Menura

Range and habitat

The extent of the Albert lyrebird's distribution has apparently declined significantly following European settlement. Much of the lyrebird's habitat was cleared during the 19th century. Although the species was still widespread in lowland areas at the beginning of the 20th century, the continued clearing of habitat since then has driven most populations into higher altitude forests, usually at least 300 metres above sea level.<p>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.<p>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.<p>The birds have a preference for rainforest with a dense understorey of vines and shrubs, or wet sclerophyll forest with a dense understorey of rainforest plants, including temperate rainforest. They are occasionally recorded in areas with mixed eucalypt forest, with a mesic understorey, around gullies and lower slopes, and with small amounts of rainforest in wet gullies.<p>The composition of plant species within these forests does not appear to be important except that a canopy of eucalypts is always associated with higher population densities when compared to rainforests that lack eucalypts (at sites with equivalent climates). Population densities increase along a gradient of increasing rainfall and decreasing mean annual temperature; with decreasing moisture index, the density of males declines and individuals become increasingly restricted to areas around gullies. In comparisons of wet sclerophyll forest and rainforest with equivalent climate and moisture index, higher densities always occur in wet sclerophyll forest and are associated with the greater weights of litter and logs and slower rates of litter decomposition.<p>Steep moist valleys and other areas that are physically or geographically protected from wildfire are likely to offer important refuge habitat.<p>Albert's lyrebird usually occurs singly or in pairs, or rarely in groups of three. It is sedentary (non-migratory), and remains in the same general area year-round. Males are territorial during the breeding season. Females seem to have their own separate territories, which partly overlap that of the male, and which they defend as feeding grounds rather than as the centre of a mating site. Data on territory sizes has only been recorded for males. Male territories are said to usually comprise an area of 5–15 ha (12–37 acres).

Migration

Resident species

Conservation

Population trend

stable