My thanks to those who responded to my request for advice concerning a
query about the identity of a bird seen on TV in the US of A, the query
having been sent to the Aust. Rainforest Conservation Society.
The reply I tried to send is below. It was "Blocked for spam". I am now
trying to send it again after deleting all references to the R'forest Cons.
Society, the name of our mailing list, and the suggestion of trying Amazon
Books. I hope leaving the details of Len Smith's book doesn't trigger the
spam detector. It will be next to go, if I'm again 'blocked for spam'.
To Harry Friesen,
Dear Harry,
You emailed the Australian Rainforest Conservation Society seeking advice
of the probable identity of a bird seen in a TV show about rare animals and
birds of Australia. You wrote:
> One of the birds was the most beautiful bird I have ever seen. It was
> about the size of small chicken with beautful feathers and with
> extensions from its side that looked about 2 or 3 ft long something like
> an outstretched wing. It had about 4 or 5 balllike thngs hanging down
> under each wing when outstretched. It also had an unusual tail of
> feathers when fluffed up that looked like white gauze.
The most likely identity is the Superb Lyrebird (_Menura novaehollandiae_).
The size is right and the male has an ornamental tail which is about 2 to
3 feet long.
Males display, 'dance' and sing to attract females for mating. In the
display, the male spreads his tail and brings it forward over his back to
form an almost flat and approximately semicircular 'roof'. The 'diameter'
is then at the base of the tail and the roof extends forward well past the
bird's head. This could give the effect of the wing-like extensions from
its side.
Except for two very narrow central feathers and two outer ornamental
feathers, all the rectrices are filamentous - the barbs are widely
separated - and they are silvery-white in appearance giving the 'white
gauze' effect that you describe. The two outer ornamental feathers have an
S-curve and an early artist, working from a skin, painted the tail in a
vertical position giving a resemblance to the ancient musical instrument
known called a lyre. Hence the name "lyrebird" though in fact the bird
rarely if ever, holds the tail in that position.
Your reference to "4 or 5" ball-like things" hanging down under each
outstretched 'wing' is a mystery. That does not fit any Australian bird.
I put your email on a mailing list, "birding-aus", and one suggestion is
that the tips and colour bars of the outer ornamental feathers might give
that effect with certain camera angles.
Another response wisely made the point that if mention was made of
outstanding mimicry ability, it would be the lyrebird without doubt. And
indeed the birds are such outstanding mimics that it would be surprising if
any TV program featuring the species failed to mention this. So that may
clinch it for you.
As to coloured pictures, most good bird books dealing with Australian birds
would include one. However, for many excellent photos and a thorough
account of the species try to find "The Life of the Lyrebird", by L.H.
Smith, William Heinemann, Australia, 1988. If you can't turn up a copy in
a library, try Amazon Books on the Internet - amazon.com - I haven't used
their services myself, but I understand they are excellent at tracking down
out of print books.
If I get any other suggestions from birding-aus, I'll pass them on, but it
seems likely that Superb Lyrebird is what you saw. Good luck with your
search for photos.
Syd Curtis
(Vice-President, ARCS.)
H Syd Curtis
To unsubscribe from this list, please send a message to
Include ONLY "unsubscribe birding-aus" in the message body (without the
quotes)
|
