Some of these sounds are so perfect, they’ve fooled scientists, tourists, and entire forests.
Nature is full of surprises, but lyrebirds take that to an entirely different level. These feathered impersonators don’t just borrow sounds from other animals. They’ve crashed into human territory, and the results are both incredible and unsettling. We’re talking flawless renditions of chainsaws, car alarms, and even the soft whimper of a crying baby, all coming from a bird’s throat.
At first, it feels like a novelty trick, a quirky thing to tell your friends. But the more you hear these birds bend the sounds of civilization into their own eerie remixes, the more it gets under your skin. This isn’t just mimicry. It’s adaptation in overdrive, and it’s forcing us to rethink how animals process, weaponize, and repurpose the chaotic noise pollution humans bring into the wild.
1. Chainsaws Echo in Forests Where Only Birds Should Be.
Walking through the ancient forests of Australia should feel serene, but things take a turn when a chainsaw revs up in the distance. There are no workers. No logging crews. Just a lyrebird perched on a branch, effortlessly spitting out the perfect replica of a mechanical chainsaw, according to Britannica. It’s not a party trick. It’s a regular part of the lyrebird’s vocal menu in areas where deforestation has been a constant backdrop.
Researchers have documented how male lyrebirds, especially the superb lyrebird, incorporate the sounds of chainsaws into their courtship songs or territorial displays. It’s believed to be an acoustic power move, adding loud, dominant noises to their routine to intimidate rivals or confuse predators. The fact that it’s a sound of destruction doesn’t seem to bother them. They’ve heard it so often, it’s just another tool in their survival toolkit.
Locals often mistake the mimicry for active logging operations, only to discover a single bird holding the entire forest hostage with its vocal cords. That blurring of natural and artificial soundscapes makes the entire forest feel less like a sanctuary and more like a soundstage. The accuracy is unsettling enough to make even experienced bushwalkers do a double take.
2. Car Alarms Now Scream from the Treetops.
Hearing a car alarm blaring in the middle of an untouched forest is enough to send anyone into confusion mode. But this isn’t some prank or lost vehicle—it’s the work of a lyrebird who’s decided the wailing siren of a car alarm deserves a place in its song cycle. This chaotic shriek ricochets through the treetops, turning a peaceful nature walk into an urban sound nightmare.
Lyrebirds living near urban edges or within earshot of parking lots seem to adore adding these abrasive alarms into their vocal displays. Some experts think this might be more than just mimicry for fun. These high-pitched, aggressive sounds might make the bird seem more dominant or intimidating in the competitive world of lyrebird social dynamics, as reported by Wild Ambience.
Then again, maybe it’s just the ultimate brag. By replicating the most obnoxious, attention-grabbing sounds around, the bird can out-sing rivals in both volume and creativity. It’s a weird reminder that sometimes, the loudest show-off wins, even in the animal kingdom.
3. Dragging Chains Aren’t Always Human Anymore.
Visitors to zoos and wildlife parks have reported hearing the unmistakable sound of chains dragging on gravel, only to find nothing but a lyrebird casually throwing the creepy noise into its performance. It’s the kind of sound that makes your skin crawl. It feels out of place in the peaceful surroundings of the forest, which is exactly what makes it so memorable.
This mimicry is a bit more niche, often picked up by lyrebirds living near maintenance areas or enclosures where such noises are part of the daily human soundscape, as stated by CBC. It’s not the flashy kind of mimicry like alarms or engines, but it’s deeply unsettling in its own way. That grinding, metallic scrape has an eerie quality that makes you glance over your shoulder.
Some speculate that the birds might associate the sound with the presence of food or human activity. Others think they’re simply showcasing their eerie mastery of sounds that feel as far from birdsong as possible. Whatever the reason, it leaves an impression—and not always a pleasant one.
4. Cameras Click and Whirr Without a Photographer in Sight.
Birdwatchers and photographers have often been tricked by what they thought was the click-click-click of another photographer’s camera, only to find a lyrebird perched in the branches, mocking them with uncanny precision. These birds don’t just mimic the shutter click, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. They throw in the subtle mechanical whirr of motor drives, crafting a fake photoshoot soundtrack that echoes through the woods.
Lyrebirds living in heavily visited national parks and tourist spots where cameras are a common sound have added these noises to their daily routines. It might be a learned association between humans and safety or food, but some researchers suggest it could also be the birds challenging themselves with complex, rhythmic sounds.
Either way, it makes for a surreal encounter. You’re surrounded by untouched wilderness, yet it sounds like a paparazzi ambush. It’s moments like this that make you realize just how deeply these birds embed themselves in human culture—whether we like it or not.
5. Zoo Gate Clanks Become Part of the Birdsong.
The dull, metallic clank of zoo gates opening and closing is not a sound you expect to hear in the middle of a forest. But lyrebirds who grew up in or near wildlife parks have made it part of their regular soundscape, recreating it with eerie accuracy, as reported by Science Direct. The result is a bizarre fusion of captivity and freedom, where the sounds of enclosure echo from birds flying free.
Unlike the more attention-grabbing noises like alarms, this mimicry is subtler but still unnerving. There’s something about hearing the creak and clang of a gate in a place where there are no fences that messes with your head. It makes you wonder if the bird is reminding everyone of its past or simply flexing its vocal range.
Some believe this might be the bird’s way of signaling feeding time, while others see it as a form of acoustic nostalgia. Either way, it feels like an audio glitch in the matrix when you hear it.
6. Lyrebirds Even Imitate the Beep of Construction Trucks.
A quiet forest can turn into a surreal construction zone the moment a lyrebird belts out the backing beep of a reversing truck. The sound is so precise, visitors have actually searched for phantom construction vehicles where there are none. Lyrebirds pick up this beeping from construction sites near their habitats, and somehow, it becomes part of their vocal routines.
It’s not just the pitch-perfect replication that’s eerie. It’s the timing. Lyrebirds often insert these beeps at moments of pause in their calls, mimicking the rhythm of actual trucks. That kind of sound manipulation hints at their incredible audio memory and creativity.
Hearing it in the middle of nowhere adds an unsettling edge. It disrupts the peace in a way that feels almost intentional, as if the bird is playing a practical joke on its human observers, challenging their expectations of what a forest should sound like.
7. Baby Cries Haunt the Canopy Thanks to These Birds.
Few sounds cut deeper than the desperate wail of a crying baby. So imagine the chill of hearing it in the middle of the wilderness, only to discover the source is a lyrebird perched high in the trees. That’s right. There have been multiple recordings of lyrebirds mimicking human infants crying, and it is as haunting as it sounds.
It’s thought these birds pick up the sound from nearby households or visitor centers. But why they choose to mimic such an emotional sound remains a mystery. Some researchers suspect it might be a byproduct of their obsession with high-pitched noises that stand out, while others think it could be another tactic for drawing attention in crowded soundscapes.
Whatever the reason, it’s the kind of mimicry that leaves visitors rattled. It turns an innocent birdwatching outing into something far more unsettling, lingering in your memory long after you’ve left the forest behind.
8. Emergency Sirens Get a Bird-Backed Remix.
Emergency sirens are designed to demand attention, and lyrebirds have figured that out. In areas near towns or highways, they’ve incorporated the wail of police, ambulance, and fire sirens into their songs. It’s a chilling thing to hear in a supposedly quiet natural space, and it’s not uncommon for hikers to stop in confusion, scanning for lights that never appear.
The accuracy with which they deliver the oscillating rise and fall of sirens is uncanny. Some experts theorize that by using such urgent sounds, lyrebirds might be creating an acoustic shield, tricking predators or rivals into backing off. Or maybe they just like the spotlight.
Hearing these synthetic cries ripple through a forest creates an odd sense of urgency where there should be none. It’s a clever, if slightly creepy, manipulation of the human soundscape by a bird that refuses to stick to the rules.
9. Phone Ringtones Turn Forests into Fake Call Zones.
There’s something deeply unsettling about hearing a phone ringtone in a place with no cell service. That’s the trick lyrebirds love to play on unsuspecting visitors. In tourist-heavy areas, they’ve been caught perfectly mimicking popular ringtones, leaving hikers fumbling for their phones in the middle of the trail.
It’s not hard to imagine why they pick up these sounds. Phones are everywhere, and the repetitive, catchy melodies are prime material for their mimicry. Some biologists think this could be a side effect of them learning whatever sounds are most common, while others think it’s a form of social experimentation, seeing how humans react.
Regardless of the reason, it’s a reminder that these birds are keen observers of human behavior—and not above trolling us with our own devices. The result is a wilderness that feels like it’s part prank, part performance art.
10. House Alarms Get a Nature-Inspired Reboot.
Home security alarms blaring through the forest sound like the beginning of a bad sci-fi movie. But in reality, it’s often just a lyrebird showing off its latest vocal skill. These alarms, with their shrill, looping tones, are difficult to ignore—and that’s exactly why lyrebirds seem to love them.
By adding such sounds into their calls, lyrebirds create a confusing, jarring backdrop that feels entirely out of place. Some researchers theorize that these alarms might be used as a way to overwhelm rival males or confuse predators by creating a chaotic soundscape.
It’s a bold move by a bird that seems determined to make the forest anything but peaceful. Hearing these alarms in an untouched natural setting is enough to make you rethink your entire relationship with technology—and maybe, grudgingly, respect the lyrebird for mastering the ultimate audio weapon.