Comments by "Helmuth Schultes" (@helmuthschultes9243) on "American Reacts to The Lyrebird - Mimics Anything - Australia" video.
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It is more than spectacular. I have had many experiences of Lyre bird song during 4WD trips.
They not only use plumage but song to attract mates. Some successful Lyrebirds exceed a repertoire lasting over 20 minutes, with little repetition with individual sounds lasting from a few seconds to over 30 sec.
A bird needs to hear a given sound only a few times to be fairly accurate and sounds are produced as little as teo or three times suddenly appear like echos.
Mostly they are seen fleetingly as they dash away into the bush (forest) and they definitely can be silenced if startled.
Normally heard early or late in the day, and often only heard but not seen. Some however closer to regularly visted places of people do openly display and sing. Naturally most mimic is of other creatures like birds, frogs, insects, lizards, snakes, but with exposure to modern equipment and people they also capture sounds thereby created.
Personally have heard camera, rattling keys, car door closing, squeeky wheels and brake noises, various engine of chainsaw, motorbike, cars, diesel or petrol, thump of 4WD going over rocks, electric window, roar of cooling fan, even wiperblade swishing. Children group chattering/giggling/laughing. Adults making startled Wow, Oh, What sounds, shuffling of feet, sadly several 'Fart' sounds, even inflation/deflating of air mattress.
On one trip with visiting foreign friends I pulled into a small side track in 4WD to allow some sunset photos of a storage lake and hills in nice red setset light. Suddendly, I estimate within 100m though unseen, a Lyre bird letgo on its repertoire. Though repeated many sequences we sat near 1hr long listening, as the sky went through many stages to early night after sun was fully set. The visitors were so impressed. Include were vehicle sounds, chain saw, including falling crashing tree, trailbike, giggling people, and a plethora of frogs, birds and other animals. Disturbing were buzzing mosquito and wasp sounds way louder than the real thing. At no time seen, but we did the following morning see two running away on another section of 4WD trail.
BELEIVE IT THEY SOUND BETTER THAN THE PROGRAM AND MOST STARTLING IS THE RAPID CHANGES FROM SOUND TO SOUND WITHOUT BREAKS. THOUGH THEY PAUSE OFTEN SEEMING TO CHECK FOR MATES OR COMPETITORS..
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Bye the way TREE KANGAROOS are real. They are stockier than whar you normally see as a kangaroo or wallaby. Even slightly smaller than wallabies. Thicker fur, and shorter tail, they live pn Northern raiforest and up into Papua, New Guinea. Main places I have observed iare n wild and on animal sanctuary/zoo are reddish-brown, pale belly. There are darker colours too, not quite black.
Would really like to see your reaction to a real live Lyrebird in full repertoire. Can be near 20 min long with little repertion. Sadly most encounters are brief rush as it runs away and hides, they are definitely very shy. I have had several song encointers, mainly when quiet morning or dusk sitting in my bush camp, when little acti ity underway. With larger groups and kids running around camp, virtually never. Also many fleeting sightings while traveling smaller bush tracks. Larger dirt roads more rarely, even with few, say 1 per hour vehicle, traffic. The Lyrebird has a home territory, and sings on boundaries, so often heard successively from several locations and directions. If very luky even several heard competing from respective territory, that could be around an acre each. Definitely captivating, to even scary with gun shots and chainsaw sounds among many unusual haunting noises.
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