Albert's Lyrebird

1. Chestnut-brown plumage with a rufous undertail and throat

2. Males have a lyre-shaped tail, though less ornate than the Superb Lyrebird

3. Found only in mountain rainforests of southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales

Albert's Lyrebird forages alone on the forest floor, scratching through deep leaf litter for insects, larvae, and other invertebrates. Males are territorial during the winter breeding season (May–August), performing elaborate courtship displays on cleared ground “stages” with their tails arched over their heads and enveloping themselves in the fine filaments. Their song is a complex mix of their own calls and expert mimicry of other forest birds, notably green catbirds, satin bowerbirds, whipbirds, and rosellas, with each population having its own unique song sequence. Females build dome-shaped nests with a side entrance in dark, sheltered places, laying a single egg and raising the chick alone. The young fledge at about five and a half weeks. The species is threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation, and predation, with much of its habitat now protected in reserves.

Albert's Lyrebird is restricted to a small area of far southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales, mainly in the McPherson and Tweed Ranges, Lamington Plateau, Springbrook National Park, and adjacent areas. They inhabit subtropical rainforests and wet sclerophyll forests, especially in steep, moist valleys and areas with dense understory, generally above 3 meters elevation. The species is sedentary, remaining in the same area year-round, and is most often seen singly or in pairs.