Listen to the Superb lyrebird
Tip: press play to see the sound's live frequency spectrum in blue over the waveform.
About the Superb lyrebird
The Superb lyrebird is a bird in the family Menuridae (order Passeriformes). Its conservation status on the IUCN Red List is “least concern”. Adults weigh around 1.1 kg.
What does the Superb lyrebird sound like?
Birds produce sound with the syrinx, a vocal organ deep in the chest that can make two independent sounds at once. Songs tend to be long and patterned and are used to hold territory and attract a mate; calls are short signals for contact, alarm and flight.
The recordings here are labelled as song, call and mimicry. Listen for differences in rhythm, pitch and repetition – the spectrum display makes it easy to see whether a sound is a pure whistle (a thin line), a harsh call (a broad band) or a trill (rapid repeated marks).
From Wikipedia
The superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae) is an Australian passerine songbird, one of two species from the family Menuridae, with the other being the much rarer Albert's lyrebird. One of the world's largest songbirds, the superb lyrebird is renowned for its elaborate tail and courtship displays, and for its excellent mimicry. The species is endemic to Australia and is found in forest in the southeast of the country. According to David Attenborough, the superb lyrebird displays one of the most sophisticated voice skills within the animal kingdom—"the most elaborate, the most complex, and the most beautiful".
Frequently asked questions
What does a Superb lyrebird sound like?
You can hear 6 recordings of the Superb lyrebird on this page, including its song, call and mimicry. Birds produce sound with the syrinx, a vocal organ deep in the chest that can make two independent sounds at once.
Is the Superb lyrebird endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Superb lyrebird as “least concern”.
What family does the Superb lyrebird belong to?
The Superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae) belongs to the family Menuridae in the order Passeriformes.
Sources & credits
- Song · Faulconbridge, Blue Mountains City Council, New South… by James Ray – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Call, mimicry, song · Faulconbridge, Blue Mountains City Council, New South… by James Ray – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Call, mimicry, song · Faulconbridge… by James Ray – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Menura novaehollandiae - Superb Lyrebird by James Ray – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Menura novaehollandiae - Superb Lyrebird by James Ray – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Sonus naturalis - Soundscape by James Ray – CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
- Wikidata Q757013 – CC0
- Wikipedia: Superb lyrebird – CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo by Fir0002 – GFDL 1.2