lyrebird
English
(superb) lyrebird
Etymology
From lyre + bird.
Noun
lyrebird (plural lyrebirds)
- Either of two large ground-dwelling Australian songbirds, of the genus Menura, named because of the beautiful tail feathers of the male of one species, the superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae), which can be erected to look like a lyre, and notable for their extraordinary ability to mimic natural and artificial sounds from their environment.
- 1983, Helen Garner, Yellow Notebook: Diaries Volume I, Text Publishing 2022, p. 66:
- A lyrebird strolled past me on its large feet, among the granite boulders.
- 1983, Helen Garner, Yellow Notebook: Diaries Volume I, Text Publishing 2022, p. 66:
Derived terms
- Albert's lyrebird, Menura alberti
- superb lyrebird, Menura novaehollandiae
Translations
Australian songbirds of the genus Menura
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