Last week I mentioned briefly the European starling’s ability to mimic. But among mimics, the Superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae) of Australia, named for its tail, reigns supreme when it comes to detail and precision. In this clip, David Attenborough spies on one in his display area in the woods, and as usual, provides just enough narration to be clear and otherwise remains in the background as the bird does his amazing thing:



The ability of some birds to do this—all the more remarkable since they can’t change the shape of their mouths the way we can— comes from their syrinx, the avian equivalent to the human voicebox. The diagram at that Wikipedia link gives at least a hint of what a complex, impressive organ it is.

Tags: Birds, Saturday Birds