Re: FW: Re: [Birding-Aus] Mimicry by Lyrebird

[Andrew Taylor <>]

On Tue, Apr 10, 2007 at 12:07:39PM +1000, Bob Dawson wrote:
> One other story I have heard but have no conirmation of is Lyrebirds
> in the Blue mountains still doing steam trains in an area where
> there have been no steam trains for 50 years or more. This would
> be an example if true of birds in the wild doing a mechanical sound
> and also passing it from generation to generation.

Steam trains can still be heard by some Blue Mountains lyrebirds, daily
at the Lithgow Zig-Zag, maybe weekends at Valley Heights and occasional
tourist trips across the mountain.  I've heard quite a few lyrebirds in
the Blue Mountains without recognizing a steam train imitation.  Is it
said to be the whistle. which might be a challenge for their syringes,
or the pistons?

Andrew