Catalyst: The Secret Lives of Our Urban Birds (ABC TV Tuesday 11 April 2023)

ABC TV Australia airs a new episode of Catalyst Tonight Tuesday 11 April 2023

The episode is called The Secret Lives of Our Urban Birds.

What is The Secret Lives of Our Urban Birds about

In this episode of Catalyst, bird enthusiast and nature journalist Ann Jones embarks on a safari through the streets of Sydney to learn more about the city’s avian residents.

Ann learns just how interconnected we are with our city’s remarkable birds, from Sulphur-crested Cockatoos that have started a suburban war with their clever bin-opening techniques to Silver Gulls that have caused problems at the Opera House to the majestic but much maligned White Ibis (aka the Bin Chicken). A small Ibis chick, nesting high above one of Sydney’s busiest areas, is spotted by her.

Ann learns that birds aren’t always going to lose a battle against progress. She goes to Sydney Olympic Park, an ingeniously transformed former industrial site, and visits a waterbird refuge there. More over a quarter of Australia’s avian diversity has been documented here.

Familiarity is often the first step towards conservation. Something Ann learns when she encounters a muralist whose beautiful public works help people develop a deeper appreciation for the avian world around them.

But how do we control bird populations that have grown too accustomed to city life? Ann visits the historic Me Mel, also known as Goat Island, in Sydney Harbour to learn about the efforts made by researchers to control the disruptive Silver Gulls that make the island their home.

Producer/Director: Bruce Permezel, Associate Producer: Dominique Pile, Series Producer: Elle Gibbons, Executive Producer: Penny Palmer, Acting Head of Factual and Culture: Richard Huddleston

What Time Does The Secret Lives of Our Urban Birds air Tonight

Catalyst: The Secret Lives of Our Urban Birds airs Tuesday 11 April 2023 at 9.00pm on ABC TV.