
Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org
/wiki/Superb_Lyrebird
With tail spread wide he’ll do his dance.
It gives him a romantic chance
to bring a mate into his life;
a female bird to be his wife.
But only if he dances well
will she fall under his love spell.
His tail, that’s almost half his size
will open wide before your eyes.
This tail of such impressive length
will show his wife that he has strength,
while the dance he does so well
should bring her under his love spell.
The Lyre’s shape shows in his tail
While singing songs which cannot fail
The wondrous sounds that he can make
are all made for their beauties sake
He’ll roar the din of chainsaws sharp,
then sing the high notes of the harp’
he’ll mimic every bird and sound
that he has ever heard around.
These sounds and much more he will sing,
for he can copy anything.
Some think that “liar” is his name,
but like him it just sounds the same.
Instead it is his feathers long
and not the false sounds in his song
that earn this bird the Lyre’s name.
Because his tail shape is the same
as an instrument that’s come from Greece,
played in the days of Jason’s fleece.
The Lyre has such wondrous sound
and in this birds tail-shape it is found.
Though the Lyrebird may tell us lies
its name’s cause is before our eyes.
A wondrous bird with a wondrous tail
and from Australia it does hale;
like many things from our wide land
it helps to make our country grand.