1
00:00:15,458 --> 00:00:19,330
What bird has the most elaborate,

2
00:00:19,330 --> 00:00:20,858
the most complex,

3
00:00:20,858 --> 00:00:23,136
the most beautiful song in the world?

4
00:00:23,136 --> 00:00:25,083
Well I guess there are lots of contenders,

5
00:00:25,083 --> 00:00:26,831
but this bird must be one of them.

6
00:00:26,831 --> 00:00:30,344
The superb Lyre Bird. There's one of them right here.

7
00:00:37,250 --> 00:00:44,038
[the bird is making lots of whistling and chirping noises]

8
00:00:45,977 --> 00:00:47,697
He clears a space in the forest

9
00:00:47,697 --> 00:00:50,165
to serve as his concert platform.

10
00:00:50,165 --> 00:01:01,771
[more different whistles and chirps]

11
00:01:02,156 --> 00:01:04,376
To persuade females to come close and

12
00:01:04,376 --> 00:01:06,296
admire his plumes, he sings the most

13
00:01:06,296 --> 00:01:08,028
complex song he can manage.

14
00:01:08,028 --> 00:01:10,296
He does that by copying the songs

15
00:01:10,296 --> 00:01:12,057
of all the other birds he hears

16
00:01:12,057 --> 00:01:14,730
around him, such as the kookaburra.

17
00:01:15,377 --> 00:01:19,857
[imitates the call of the kookaburra]

18
00:01:19,857 --> 00:01:21,896
It's a very convincing impersonation.

19
00:01:29,264 --> 00:01:30,859
Even the original is fooled.

20
00:01:30,859 --> 00:01:39,443
[kookaburra calls back to the lyrebird, and they call back and forth]

21
00:01:39,443 --> 00:01:40,898
He can imitate the calls

22
00:01:40,898 --> 00:01:43,136
of at least 20 different species.

23
00:01:43,136 --> 00:01:47,297
[he is making more chirps and whistles]

24
00:01:47,297 --> 00:01:49,497
He also, in an attempt to out-sing

25
00:01:49,497 --> 00:01:51,298
his rivals, incorporates other sounds

26
00:01:51,298 --> 00:01:53,943
he hears in the forest.

27
00:01:53,943 --> 00:01:55,578
[sound of a camera taking a picture]

28
00:01:55,578 --> 00:01:57,737
That was a camera shutter.

29
00:02:02,951 --> 00:02:03,798
[another camera sound]

30
00:02:03,936 --> 00:02:04,818
And again.

31
00:02:04,818 --> 00:02:08,857
[and a tuneful whistle, followed by the camera shutter sound]

32
00:02:08,857 --> 00:02:11,946
And now a camera with a motor drive.

33
00:02:11,946 --> 00:02:14,192
[now the shutter sound is followed by the whirr of an automatic advancer]

34
00:02:14,192 --> 00:02:18,057
[sound of a car alarm]

35
00:02:18,057 --> 00:02:19,913
And that's a car alarm.

36
00:02:28,912 --> 00:02:33,361
And now the sounds of foresters and their chainsaws working nearby.

37
00:02:33,361 --> 00:02:42,858
[sound of a chainsaw revving, followed by thumps and buzzes and another chainsaw]

38
00:02:42,858 --> 00:02:44,694
[more chainsaws, sound of water drops]

39
00:02:44,694 --> 00:02:46,928
[sound of a hand saw]

40
00:02:47,051 --> 00:02:51,097
[whistles and chirps]