Albert's lyrebird
Common name: Albert’s lyrebird
Scientific name: Menura alberti
Family: Menuridae
Conservation status: Albert’s lyrebird is listed as Near Threatened in Queensland (Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992) and is ranked as a low priority under the Department of Environment and Resource Management Back on Track species prioritisation framework.
Description
The female Albert’s lyrebird reaches approximately 75 cm in length and males 90 cm. They are chestnut-brown in colour with a rufous undertail, rump and throat. The male has a long tail of glossy black feathers which at the tip are wiry and lace-like. The tail of the female is shorter and simple.
Habitat and distribution
The Albert's lyrebird prefers rainforest and mixed eucalypt-rainforest and adequate ground cover, it is usually only glimpsed as it disappears into the forest.
The range of the Albert's lyrebird has contracted dramatically with records now restricted to the mountain ranges in the vicinity of the Queensland/New South Wales border. An isolated population has been recorded on Mt Tamborine.
Life history and behaviour
A timid bird, the Albert’s lyrebird is seldom seen but its call is spectacular and the presence of the birds is unmistakable during the winter months. During this time, males broadcast their remarkable vocal abilities in order to impress potential mates. The Albert's Lyrebird mimics a large diversity of forest sounds including the calls of bowerbirds, whipbirds and rosellas.
The breeding period occurs from April to September with display and mating commencing in May, followed by nest building. During June to August, one egg is laid in a domed nest, 2 to 5 m above the ground. Females build a nest from sticks, roots and moss among fallen shrubs, vines or ferns. The egg is incubated by the female for 42 days.
Territories are estimated to be between 5 and 15 ha. It feeds on the forest floor on small invertebrates such as snails, worms and insects.
Threatening processes
Threats to Albert's lyrebird include clearing and fragmentation of habitat, unsuitable forest management practices and predation by introduced predators such as the fox. The expansion of urban and rural development has forced this bird into rugged, isolated and sometimes inaccessible areas.
Additionally, the limited population size and physical isolation of the Albert's lyrebird at Mt Tamborine and in the Blackwall Range in NSW may mean that these populations are unviable in the long term.
Recovery actions
An Albert's Lyrebird Project was developed to enhance available data by encouraging members of the community to submit sightings for entry to the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) WildNet database. The Mount Tamborine Natural History Association (NHA) carried out systematic counts of local Albert's lyrebird in 1993, 2001 and 2003.
WildNet provides quality information about Queensland's wildlife. This information underpins sound management decisions and is the key source of such information in the state.
What can you do to help this species
You can help this species by:
- Recording sightings of lyrebirds and report the sighting to the local DERM office.
- Find out about Conservation Agreements. There are a number of types of conservation agreements available in south-east Queensland. These agreements play an important part in assissting DERM in conserving our unique natural assets.
- The agreements range from the non-binding Land for Wildlife program (managed by local councils), through to binding agreements to conserve the land in perpetuity, such as the Nature Refuges Program managed by DERM.
- All conservation agreements are written in conjunction with the landowner and are able to include the continuation of a variety of land uses. Conservation agreements also provide an excellent opportunity to gain technical advice about how to best manage your land for conservation.
Last updated 7 July 2011