Male birds will mate with several females, and although they appear to know where the nests are, they take no part in building them or incubating and feeding the young. The female builds a dome-shaped nest of sticks, which can be on the ground, on rocks, within tree stumps, or in tree ferns and caves. The nest is lined with ferns, feathers, moss and rootlets. Usually, only one egg is laid, which hatches in around six weeks. The young lyrebird remains in the nest for six to ten weeks.
Some people living on the edge of the bush are lucky enough to have lyrebirds visit their gardens.
Finding out about their way of life, and listening to their fantastic mimicry, can make living with lyrebirds a rewarding experience. Sometimes however, these birds rake up garden beds, knocking over seedlings and leaving leaf litter everywhere. To prevent this from happening, you can erect wire fences around the plants to protect them, make a temporary barrier with potted plants, or lay chicken wire over the garden beds. Lyrebirds will be encouraged by open compost heaps, so keep your compost covered or use a compost bin. To find out more about native animals in NSW, contact the National Parks Centre .