Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
Although this species is restricted to a fairly small area, there is no evidence of a continuing decline. The habitat of Albert's Lyrebird is nearly all managed for conservation and, while fires affected some of its range in 2019, losses are unlikely to be continuing. For these reasons the species is classified as Least Concern.
Population justification
The number of Albert's Lyrebirds (1,700-8,300 mature individuals) is calculated as the product of the territory size (9 ha) applied to three independent measures of the area of occupancy (in Stewart et al. 2021), assuming each 2x2 km square within its range (using data from eBird 2020 and BirdLife Australia 2020) represents 1 km2 of suitable habitat. The population is possibly larger as many areas have not been surveyed; consequently, the best estimate (8,100 mature individuals) is placed at the higher end of the population size range. Small isolated subpopulations at Blackwall Range (possibly ten birds; Bower 1997) and Mt Tamborine (23 pairs; Nielsen 2010) continue to persist (BirdLife Australia 2020, eBird 2021) although isolated for well over 50 years.
Trend justification
Earlier sustained declines due to forestry in what is now Whian Whian Conservation Area have ceased and the population is thought to be stable. Some birds died in major fires in 2019–2020 but, based on initial assumptions about mortality at different severity classes (severity low: 10%; medium: 30%; high: 80%; very high: 100%) and maps of fire severity, the total killed was an estimated 6% of the total population with estimates ranging from 4%–8% depending on the fire-related mortality assumptions adopted (G. Ehmke, S.T. Garnett unpublished). In the absence of additional threats, the population is not thought to be undergoing a continuing decline.
Albert's Lyrebirds are endemic to rainforests in far south-east Queensland and far north-east New South Wales, Australia. The main population occurs in a broad arc from Lamington National Park, along the McPherson Range west to Mount Barney National Park and along the Great Dividing Range from Wilsons Peak north to Cunningham's Gap and Mount Mistake with branches south along the McPherson and Tweed Ranges south to Koonyum and the Nightcap Ranges in the east and west to Boundary Creek, south-east of Kyogle, and the Richmond Range. There are isolated subpopulations at Tamborine Mountain and the Blackwall Range (Higgins et al. 2001, Stewart et al. 2021).
Lives in moist forest, mostly above 300 m with highest densities on poorer soils which develop a deep leaf-litter. It favours areas with Antarctic Beech Nothofagus moorei and wet sclerophyll forest with a dense understorey of rainforest plants, but is absent from some rainforest types, including complex notophyll vine forest on high nutrient soils and from dry sclerophyll forest. It feeds on terrestrial invertebrates. Low altitude forests are experiencing ongoing recovery through protection (or neglect) by landowners and local communities which could potentially become suitable for lyrebirds (H. Ford in litt. 2016). Courtship is elaborate, with the male dancing and mimicking the calls of other local bird species (Robinson and Curtis 1996).
Until recently, the major threat was intense forest management, particularly in what was Whian Whian State Forest where proposals existed to allow replacement of optimal wet sclerophyll habitat with unsuitable Eucalyptus plantations. This area is now protected in the Whian Whian State Conservation Area (I. Gynther in litt. 2007). Fire in exceptionally dry years has long been considered the main threat, especially to outlying subpopulations (Higgins et al. 2001), and certainly had an impact during the exceptionally dry and hot summer of 2019. However, no outlying subpopulations were eliminated, and there have continued to be records from all parts of the species range; there proved to be many more than the 12 locations suggested by Garnett et al. (2011). Historically much of the bird's habitat was cleared in the 19th century, and the species was also sensitive to logging (Kavanagh and Stanton 2005), as expected from modelling (Pavlacky et al. 2015), before that ceased. In the longer-term, climate change, particularly given predictions of longer and more intense droughts and heat waves (Evans et al. 2017, Herold et al. 2018), is likely to affect the species (Pavlacky et al. 2015). They are among the ten Australian bird species most likely to be taken by foxes Vulpes vulpes (Woinarski et al. in press) but the impact of fox predation is unknown and probably low given the habitat.
Conservation Actions Underway
A study of the habitat distribution and population density has been completed. Whian Whian State Forest, which was formerly threatened with conversion to Eucalyptus plantations, became protected as part of the Whian Whian State Conservation Area in July 2003. Voluntary conservation agreements on private land have given greater protection to suitable habitat (including Nature Refuge designation in Queensland), several state forests where the species occurs have been converted to national park status in Queensland, and a Border Ranges Rainforest Biodiversity Management Plan has been developed, encompassing the entire distribution of the species and identifying actions to enhance the quality and extent of habitat.
Male 90 cm including tail (50 cm), female 76 cm. Rufous-and-chestnut pheasant-like bird with long tail. Deep chestnut upperparts, rufous-buff throat, foreneck and undertail-coverts. Tail of male glossy black above and silver-grey below, used in elaborate displays. Tail of female and juvenile non-filamentous. Similar spp. Superb Lyrebird M. novaehollandiae is larger and has darker brown upperparts, 'guard-plumes' of tail are curved. Voice Male, far-carrying caw-cree-craw-craw-wheat or similar phrases. Both sexes mimic other species. Alarm call, piercing whisk-whisk.
Text account compilers
Berryman, A., Vine, J., Garnett, S.
Contributors
Baker, B., Burbidge, A., Dutson, G., Ford, H., Garnett, S., Gynther, I., Herman, K. & Woinarski, J.C.Z.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Albert's Lyrebird Menura alberti. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/alberts-lyrebird-menura-alberti on 23/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/11/2024.