For my international friends. The Lyrebird mimics other birds, chainsaws or whatever else it hears. I have seen a few in action at times and it is an experience I will never forget. He does this to attract the female and he opens his large white tail and shakes it. In the Dandenong mountains (really just low hills by your standards) 20 miles east of Melbourne there is a path up the mountain which has been there for many, many years, it is called the thousand steps. It has become a popular fitness route in the past few years, before that you wouldnt see anyone on it, but now thousands walk up them coming from all over Melbourne (one of the largest suburban sprawls in the world) including arrogant footballers. I was walking up one day and noticed a Lyrebird next to the track. It is a rarity to see one in the wild because our clever government place poisons to kill the foxes, but seem to always place them next to a Lyrebird nest. Anyway, it starts to perform in front of my eyes only feet away. I was amazed, not only because I was witnessing it so close, but as the people were streaming past me obviously with only fitness on their little minds, not one stopped to look, in fact I really believe no one noticed at all.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 02:49:43 +0000