Editing Lyrebird (section)

== In culture ==
=== Painting by John Gould ===
[[File:Lyre bird.jpg|thumb|upright=0.6|[[John Gould]]'s early 1800s painting of a [[superb lyrebird]] specimen at the [[British Museum]]]]

The lyrebird is so called because the male bird has a spectacular tail, consisting of 16 highly modified [[feather]]s (two long slender ''lyrates'' at the centre of the plume, two broader ''medians'' on the outside edges and twelve ''filamentaries'' arrayed between them), which was originally thought to resemble a [[lyre]]. This happened when a superb lyrebird specimen (which had been taken from Australia to [[England]] during the early 19th century) was prepared for display at the [[British Museum]] by a [[taxidermy|taxidermist]] who had never seen a live lyrebird. The taxidermist mistakenly thought that the tail would resemble a lyre, and that the tail would be held in a similar way to that of a [[peacock]] during [[courtship display]], and so he arranged the feathers in this way. Later, [[John Gould]] (who had also never seen a live lyrebird), painted the lyrebird from the British Museum specimen.

The male lyrebird's tail is not held as in John Gould's painting. Instead, the male lyrebird's tail is fanned over the lyrebird during courtship display, with the tail completely covering his head and back—as can be seen in the image in the "[[#Breeding|breeding]]" section of this page, and also the image of the 10-cent coin, where the superb lyrebird's tail (in courtship display) is portrayed accurately.

=== Lyrebird emblems and logos ===
[[File:Australia-Stamp-1932-Lyrebird.jpg|thumb|75px|Superb lyrebird on a 1932 Australian postage stamp.]]

The lyrebird has been featured as a symbol and emblem many times, especially in [[New South Wales]] and [[Victoria (state)|Victoria]] (where the superb lyrebird has its natural habitat), and in [[Queensland]] (where Albert's lyrebird has its natural habitat).

* A male superb lyrebird is featured on the [[obverse and reverse|reverse]] of the [[Australian ten-cent coin|Australian 10-cent coin]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ramint.gov.au/designs/ram-designs/10c.cfm|title=Ten cents|access-date=24 April 2013 |publisher=Royal Australian Mint}}</ref>
* A superb lyrebird featured on the Australian one shilling postage stamp first issued in 1932.
* A stylised superb lyrebird appears in the transparent window of the [[Australian 100 dollar note]].
* A silhouette of a male superb lyrebird is the logo of the [[Australian Film Commission]].
* An illustration of a male superb lyrebird, in courtship display, is the emblem of the [[New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service]].
* The pattern on the curtains of the [[Victorian State Theatre]] is the image of a male superb lyrebird, in courtship display, as viewed from the front.
* A stylised illustration of a male Albert's lyrebird was the logo of the [[Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University|Queensland Conservatorium of Music]], before the Conservatorium became part of [[Griffith University]]. In the logo, the top part of the lyrebird's tail became a music [[Staff (music)|stave]].
* Australian band [[You Am I]]'s 2008 album ''[[Dilettantes (album)|Dilettantes]]'' and its first single, "[[Erasmus (song)|Erasmus]]", feature a drawing of a lyrebird by artist Ken Taylor.
* A stylised illustration of part of a male superb lyrebird's tail is the logo for the [[Lyrebird Arts Council]] of Victoria.
* The lyrebird is also featured atop the crest of Panhellenic Sorority [[Alpha Chi Omega]], whose symbol is the lyre.
* There are many other companies with the name of ''Lyrebird'', and these also have lyrebird logos.
* "Land of the Lyrebird" is an alternative name for the [[Strzelecki Ranges]] in the [[Gippsland]] region of Victoria.
* A silhouetted male superb lyrebird in courtship display features in the masthead of ''[[The Betoota Advocate]]''.