Close-up of the lyrebird with its beak open

Superb lyrebird

Superb lyrebirds are famed for their extraordinary ability to mimic. They imitate other bird calls, as well as human sounds such as car alarms and camera shutters.

Scientific name: Menura novaehollandiae

Rank: Species

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Distribution

Map showing the distribution of the Superb lyrebird taxa

Species range provided by WWF's Wildfinder.

The Superb lyrebird can be found in a number of locations including: Australia. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.

Habitats

The following habitats are found across the Superb lyrebird distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.

Broadleaf forest Broadleaf forest
Broadleaf forests are the dominant habitat of the UK and most of temperate northern Europe. There's little left of Britain's ancient wildwood, but isolated pockets of oak, beech and mixed deciduous and evergreen woodlands are scattered across the continent, and dictate its biodiversity.

Behaviours

Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.

Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web

Conservation Status

Least Concern

  1. EX - Extinct
  2. EW
  3. CR - Threatened
  4. EN - Threatened
  5. VU - Threatened
  6. NT
  7. LC - Least concern

Year assessed: 2009

Classified by: IUCN 3.1

Classification

  1. Life
  2. Animals
  3. Vertebrates
  4. Birds
  5. Perching birds
  6. Menuridae
  7. Menura
  8. Superb lyrebird

Video collections

Take a trip through the natural world with our themed collections of video clips from the natural history archive.

  • Wildlife wind-ups Wildlife wind-ups

    It's not only humans that like a good joke, animals play all kinds of tricks on one another in their attempts to gain an advantage.

  • David Attenborough's favourite moments David Attenborough's favourite moments

    Watch the most memorable moments from an incredible career watching wildlife, chosen by Sir David from the BBC archive.

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