Data and code for 'Performative manipulation of the environment by displaying Albert’s lyrebirds'

Where dramatic sexual displays are necessary to attract a mate, individuals can enhance their performances by manipulating their physical environment. Typically, individuals alter their environment either in preparation for a performance by creating a ‘stage’, or during the display itself by using discrete objects as ‘props’. We examined an unusual case of performative manipulation of an entire ‘stage’ by male Albert’s lyrebirds (Menura alberti) during their complex song and dance displays. We found that males from throughout the species’ range shake the entangled forest vegetation of their display platforms, creating a highly conspicuous and stereotypical movement external to their bodies. This ‘stage shaking’ is performed in two different rhythms, with the second rhythm largely matching the rhythm of the coinciding vocalizations. Our results provide evidence that stage shaking is a functional component of male Albert’s lyrebird sexual displays, and so highlight an intriguing but poorly understood facet of complex communication.