Yesterday afternoon (Sat 6 May) we went for a short drive to Kinglake
NP and arrived there about 3.30 pm. We had seen one male Superb Lyrebird
beside the Humevale Road on the way up. Conditions were fining up after
rain and drizzle earlier in the afternoon.
As we got out of the car at the Mason's Falls picnic area we could
hear bird song - the source was a male Lyrebird on the other side of the
road. He was accompanied by two plain-tailed birds. As we watched they
crossed the road towards us, apparently hardly aware of our presence, or
finding us irrelevant. They ran about in the undergrowth close to the
car-park for about a quarter hour while we watched.
To judge by the male's behaviour, one of the plaintails was a female.
He sang continuously with much mimicry and bursts of his own calls, but
not very loudly, as he ran after her, crowding up alongside with one
wing half-spread and shaking his folded tail. At times he expanded it
enough to show some of the silver veiling feathers each side of the
centre feathers. Sometimes he got in front of her but she seemed not
interested - she was steadily scratching the ground and picking up food
items as she moved about. Sometimes the male also picked up food after a
little scratching on his own account.
The third bird (which had longer central feathers protruding from its
tail) took no part in the courting behaviour and seemed to be ignored by
the other two. It tended to stay fairly close to the female but was busy
scratching and feeding on its own account.
The male's mimicry included Kookaburra, Grey Thrush, Eastern Whipbird,
and cockatoo noises, including a Gang Gang's call. The volume was low -
nothing like the deafening amplified quality of a full-scale display.
I have seen many Superb Lyrebirds in my time but this is the first
time I have ever seen more than a pair at once. I presume the third bird
may have been last year's young one, now almost independent.
The birds eventually moved off further into the undergrowth where
they could not be seen, though the song could be heard for some time.
I shan't forget it in a hurry.
Anthea Fleming in Ivanhoe (Vic.)
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