Superb lyrebirds are ground-dwelling birds that typically live solitary lives. Adults usually live singly in
territories, but young birds without territories may associate in small groups which can be single or mixed-sex. Lyrebirds are not strong fliers and are not highly mobile, often remaining within the same area for their entire lifespans. Superb lyrebird territories are generally small, and there are known behavioural differences between different populations.
Diet and foraging The diet of the superb lyrebird consists primarily of
invertebrates such as
earthworms and insects found on the forest floor. A male's territory can overlap with up to six female territories. Within his territory, the male will construct several circular mounds of bare dirt on the forest floor, for the purpose of conducting
courtship displays. These mounds are defended vigorously from other males. A study has found evidence that the lyrebirds' 'dance choreography' is highly coordinated to different types of song repertoire. Coordination of movement with acoustic signals is a trait previously thought to be unique to humans, and indicates high cognitive ability. Females are the sole providers of
parental care. Eggs are laid in a deep bed of lyrebird feathers within the nest, and are then
incubated by the female for up to 7 weeks. with an estimated 70–80% of the male's vocalisations consisting of imitations of other species, mostly other birds but occasionally marsupials. Females also sing, regularly producing both lyrebird-specific song and vocal mimicry. Both sexes can intersperse vocal mimicry with lyrebird-specific vocalisations including songs and
alarm calls. The mimicry of the superb lyrebird is highly accurate, with even the model species at times unable to distinguish between model song and mimicked song. For example, one study found that
shrike-thrushes did not respond any differently to hearing their own songs than to hearing imitations by lyrebirds. This is reflected in the vocalisations of lyrebirds in the
Sherbrooke Forest in
Victoria, which were observed to frequently mimic the song of
pilotbirds, a species that had not been recorded in the area for over 10 years. One of the three was observed imitating a
laughing kookaburra with such close similarity that a nearby kookaburra began responding to the lyrebird and calling back. A recording of a superb lyrebird mimicking sounds of an electronic shooting game, workmen, and chainsaws was added to the
National Film and Sound Archive's
Sounds of Australia registry in 2013. The vocalizations of some superb lyrebirds in the
New England area of New South Wales are said to possess a
flute-like timbre.
Ecosystem engineers The foraging behaviour of the superb lyrebird has a major effect on the structure of the
forest floor. A lyrebird can move and bury up to 200 tonnes per hectare of leaf litter and soil every year, disturbing the soil to a greater extent than virtually any other animal.
Threats and predators Superb lyrebirds are vulnerable to native predatory birds such as the
collared sparrowhawk,
gray goshawk, and
currawongs. Methods utilised by superb lyrebirds to reduce predation risk include selection of protected areas for nest sites, mimicking calls of other predatory birds, and adopting solitary and timid behaviours. As the superb lyrebird is a poor flyer, when alarmed it will tend to run away, sometimes incorporating short gliding flights to lower perches or downhill. Human factors also pose threats to superb lyrebirds. Because they are ground-dwelling, superb lyrebirds are particularly threatened by vehicle collisions. The presence of roads and infrastructure also pose
edge effects, for example disturbance from domestic animals and predation by
introduced species such as the
red fox, which is often associated with urban areas. ==In culture==