One of the very few upsides of our apocalyptic fires last Christmas was that with the destruction of habitat, 3 juvenile lyre birds have moved in to the gully near our house. Such a rare and wonderful thing to have them so close. I managed to get one sharp shot of these shy and elusive birds but the background was rubbish, so I've transposed it with other backgrounds and textures.
For non-Aussies, these are amazing birds which can mimic any sound and woo their girlfriends with their vocabulary. The long tail can be raised like a peacock up over their back - like a lyre.
Apart from that they are a rather dull brown bird :)
I love lyre birds - I was so excited when I saw one in the Bush exhibit at Taronga Zoo quite a few years ago and even more excited when I saw one in the wild at Kuringai Wildflower Gardens - such elusive birds it is a delight when you spot one - I have seen a few more since.
great editing to show this one
great editing to show this one