Display court ecology in male Albert’s Lyrebirds

Display courts are fundamental to the sexual displays of many species of bird; however, the ecology of display courts is poorly understood, representing an important gap in our understanding of the function and evolution of complex animal displays. Here, we describe the biophysical attributes (‘ecology’) of the display courts of male Albert’s Lyrebirds, a ground-dwelling rainforest species that performs a spectacular song and dance display on set courts, known as ‘display platforms’, that are composed of vines or fallen branches. Males rhythmically move these vegetative structures while singing, forming a unique ‘stage shaking’ component of their sexual display. We investigated whether display platforms differed from random locations within a male’s territory in terms of the number of vines or other vegetative structures, area of ground clearing, vegetation density, and canopy cover measurements. We primarily found that platforms had a larger number of vines or other vegetative structures. Platforms also tended to be in areas with more canopy openings. We suggest that platform features amplify the movement of the dancing male, and that male Albert’s Lyrebirds choose platforms in locations that increase their conspicuousness to female receivers.