Lyrebird Sounds: The Bird That Can Mimic Almost Anything
Lyrebird sounds are some of the most amazing in nature. The superb lyrebird of eastern Australia can copy the calls of other birds so accurately that the real birds sometimes answer back. And the males use that talent in a surprisingly sneaky way.
Quick Facts
- Species: Superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae)
- Where: Forests of southeastern Australia
- Talent: Vocal mimicry of other birds
- Stage: Bare-earth display mounds
- Strangest trick: Faking the sound of a mobbing flock
The Ultimate Copycat
Male superb lyrebirds weave the calls of many other forest birds into their songs. In one famous case, a lyrebird imitated a laughing kookaburra so well that a nearby kookaburra started calling back.
Can Lyrebirds Really Copy Chainsaws?
Some can, with a catch. David Attenborough's The Life of Birds famously showed a lyrebird imitating a car alarm, a chainsaw and camera shutters. Two of the three lyrebirds featured were captive birds. Wild lyrebirds mostly copy other wildlife.
The Dance Floor
In his territory, a male builds several circular mounds of bare dirt on the forest floor. He uses them as stages, flipping his long tail over his head and singing to attract females.
The Fake Flock
A 2021 study in Current Biology found something stranger. When a female tries to leave the display, or during mating, the male creates an acoustic illusion of a mobbing flock: the alarm calls of several bird species plus the sound of beating wings. Scientists think it may be a deception that keeps her from leaving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can lyrebirds mimic any sound?
They're among the best vocal mimics known. Wild birds mostly copy other animals; captive ones have copied human sounds like camera shutters.
Do lyrebirds really imitate chainsaws?
Captive lyrebirds have imitated mechanical sounds. Wild lyrebirds mostly copy other birds.
Where do lyrebirds live?
The superb lyrebird lives in the forests of southeastern Australia.
Related Stories
For Bird Lovers
Read
Hear the real songs that mimics copy: Bird Songs: 250 North American Birds in Song (4.7 stars, 1,000+ ratings). See it on Amazon
Amazon affiliate link: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Wear & display
Find animal art, shirts and mugs in our Etsy shop.
Shop
Browse our Birds collection.
Get one true animal story in your inbox each week. Sign up at the bottom of this page.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Superb Lyrebird: mimicry, the kookaburra, display mounds and The Life of Birds
- Dalziell et al. (2021), Current Biology: Male Lyrebirds Create a Complex Acoustic Illusion of a Mobbing Flock During Courtship and Copulation: the fake flock
- Dalziell and Magrath (2012), Animal Behaviour: Fooling the Experts: Accurate Vocal Mimicry in the Song of the Superb Lyrebird: mimicry accuracy
- Evolutionary Ecology (2022): Selective Alarm Call Mimicry in the Sexual Display of the Male Superb Lyrebird: alarm call mimicry
More true animal stories: From Paw to Tail Blog