In this special Catalyst episode, nature journalist and self-confessed bird-nerd, Ann Jones, heads out on an urban safari through Sydney to uncover the secret lives of the city’s feathery friends.
From Sulphur-crested Cockatoos that have started a suburban war with their clever bin-opening techniques, and Silver Gulls causing trouble at the Opera House, to the majestic but much maligned White Ibis (aka the Bin Chicken) – Ann discovers just how interconnected we are with our city’s remarkable birds.
She even manages to spot a tiny Ibis chick, nesting way above one of the busiest parts of Sydney.
Ann discovers that in the fight against development, birds can sometimes win out. She travels up the Parramatta River to a waterbird refuge at Sydney Olympic Park, cleverly reclaimed from a former industrial site. Here, over a quarter of all bird species found in Australia have been recorded.
Conservation can also start with familiarity. Something Ann discovers when she meets an artist whose striking street-murals serve as a way for people to better connect with the birds around them.
But how do we manage birds that have adapted too well to our urban environment? Ann heads to historic Me Mel, or Goat Island, in Sydney Harbour to see how researchers are managing the pesky Silver Gulls who roost on this island.
Production credit: Producer/Director: Bruce Permezel, Associate Producer: Dominique Pile, Series Producer: Elle Gibbons, Executive Producer: Penny Palmer, Acting Head of Factual and Culture: Richard Huddleston
