Why is the bird called a lyrebird?

The male's tail feathers resemble a lyre

Which sounds did a lyrebird copy in David Attenborough's 1998 film?

A camera shutter and a chainsaw

Where do males perform their displays?

On cleared mounds on the forest floor

What did a 2021 study find males imitate during mating?

The alarm calls of a mobbing flock of birds

How do lyrebirds mostly move around?

On the ground, rarely flying far

Lyrebird Quiz: How Australia's Master Mimic Copies Sounds

David Attenborough filmed a male lyrebird imitating a camera and a chainsaw in 1998, and this lyrebird quiz explains how the bird produces such convincing copies. Play 10 interactive questions on the superb and Albert's lyrebirds, lyre-shaped tail feathers, display mounds, mimicry of other birds, deceptive songs and the bird on the ten-cent coin.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Country
Where do lyrebirds live?
Species
How many lyrebird species are there?
Tail
Why is the bird called a lyrebird?
Mimicry
What is the lyrebird most famous for?
Attenborough
Which sounds did a lyrebird copy in David Attenborough's 1998 film?
Mound
Where do males perform their displays?
Coin
Which Australian coin shows a lyrebird?
Deception
What did a 2021 study find males imitate during mating?
Size
Where does the lyrebird rank among songbirds?
Flight
How do lyrebirds mostly move around?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Where do lyrebirds live?
Answer: Australia
They live in forests of southeastern Australia.
Q2: How many lyrebird species are there?
Answer: Two
They are the superb lyrebird and Albert's lyrebird.
Q3: Why is the bird called a lyrebird?
Answer: The male's tail feathers resemble a lyre
Early naturalists arranged the feathers in a lyre shape.
Q4: What is the lyrebird most famous for?
Answer: Mimicking other sounds
It copies birds and even human-made noises.
Q5: Which sounds did a lyrebird copy in David Attenborough's 1998 film?
Answer: A camera shutter and a chainsaw
The clip from The Life of Birds became famous.
Q6: Where do males perform their displays?
Answer: On cleared mounds on the forest floor
They sing and fan their tails over their heads.
Q7: Which Australian coin shows a lyrebird?
Answer: The ten-cent coin
It has appeared on the coin since 1966.
Q8: What did a 2021 study find males imitate during mating?
Answer: The alarm calls of a mobbing flock of birds
The illusion of danger may keep females nearby.
Q9: Where does the lyrebird rank among songbirds?
Answer: It is one of the largest
Lyrebirds are among the biggest passerines.
Q10: How do lyrebirds mostly move around?
Answer: On the ground, rarely flying far
They scratch the leaf litter for insects and glide downhill.

Lyrebird Quiz – Australia's Master Mimic

Lyrebirds live in the forests of southeastern Australia. There are two species, the superb lyrebird and Albert's lyrebird. The male superb lyrebird's tail feathers resemble a lyre, giving the bird its name.

Lyrebirds are famous for mimicry. They copy other birds and occasionally human-made sounds such as camera shutters and chainsaws, as shown in David Attenborough's 1998 film. A 2021 study found males imitate the alarm calls of a mobbing flock while courting.

Males display on cleared mounds, fanning their tails over their heads. Lyrebirds are among the largest songbirds, mostly live on the ground and appear on Australia's ten-cent coin.

What This Quiz Teaches

Birdwatchers and nature fans will enjoy these questions.

Where lyrebirds live
How they got their name
What sounds they copy
How males display
Where they appear as symbols

Did You Know?

Much of a lyrebird's song is mimicry.
Lyrebirds help turn over forest soil.
Young males take years to grow full tails.
Lyrebirds sing most in winter.
Some lyrebird songs are passed between generations.