Australian 1 Shilling Lyrebird Stamp

The superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae) is an Australian songbird, featured on the Australian 1 Shilling postage stamp, as well as on the Australian 10 cent coin, the Australian 100 dollar note, and many Australian government emblems and logos. The superb lyrebird appeared on the Grey-green 1 Shilling Australian postage stamp issued first in 1932, and then again in 1937 and 1941.

The superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae) is endemic to Australia, found in the forests of southeastern Australia. The lyrebird’s diet consists mainly of small invertebrates that it finds on the forest floor or in rotting logs. The male lyrebird has an elegant tail, containing sixteen feathers, with the two outermost feathers forming the shape of a lyre, for which the bird gets its name.

The superb lyrebird is well-know for its extraordinary ability to mimic a variety of sounds. Lyrebirds imitate the songs of many other species of birds, as well as less natural sounds such as those of an electronic shooting game, a car alarm, a chainsaw and a camera shutter. Oddly, both male and female lyrebirds sing, although the male sings louder and more often than the female.