The Australasian area is the home of three distinctive families of the great perching bird group. Related to the scrub-birds are the spectacular lyrebirds, the two species of which are confined to eastern Australia. The outermost feathers are broad and curled, enclosing a dozen filamentous, gauze-like feathers and two very long, tapered, and curled plumes totaling 16 feathers. Females have a long tail, but they barely show signs of the developments found in males.
Lyrebirds feed on insects, myriapods and snails.
In the breeding season the male builds a moundlike display area on the forest floor. The female is attracted to breed, and more than one mates with a single male. Each female then goes off to build its domed nest on or near the ground with closely woven roots and fibres and lined with feathers. She gets no help from the male.