120 This Bird
About this episode
Most of the birds we overlook are the ones closest to us. Illustrator Astred Hicks and Dr Holly Parsons explore everyday urban birdwatching, playful ways to notice birds with kids, and the surprising journeys of the Silvereye.
Birds featured: Powerful Owl, Silvereye, Spotted Pardalote, Tawny Frogmouth
Places featured: Sydney Park (NSW), Centennial Park (NSW), Hyde Park (NSW)
Astred Hicks is a multi-award-winning illustrator and book designer, as well as an emerging author and a passionate bird nerd. She is excited to notice the world around her. In her illustration, writing, and design work, she aims to evoke wonder and joy in young audiences by sharing her observations of the tiny worlds around us, from birding and the natural environment to the wabi-sabi beauty of street textures. Astred recently received the 2025 Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year award for her illustration alongside author Maryam Master.
Dr. Holly Parsons is all about the birds that live where people live. As BirdLife Australia’s Manager of Priority Sites, she oversees programs that aim to protect key habitats, including those in urban areas where her passion lies. Holly leads initiatives that connect people with urban birdlife through citizen science, education, and habitat restoration, and with a passion for turning curiosity into action, she hopes to inspire others to create spaces where birds and people can thrive together.
-
Kirsty Costa [00:00:00]
This episode was recorded on the Countries of the Bunurong Boon Wurrung and Dharawal Peoples. Together, we acknowledge the tens of thousands of years of custodianship that Australia’s First Peoples have had for the land, waterways and sky. I’d like to pay my respects to Elders past and present, and to any First Nations person listening to this podcast.Kirsty Costa [00:00:38]
This is the Weekend Birder podcast and I’m your bird-loving buddy, Kirsty Costa. We’re right in the heart of one of the most exciting times of year for birdwatchers in Australia. October and November feel like a celebration of birds. Everywhere you look, something is happening. Birds are showing off their brightest breeding colours and singing their hearts out. The Australian Bird of the Year poll is in full swing, the Aussie Bird Count is around the corner, and bird festivals are popping up across the country. It’s a brilliant time to be outside, and an even better time to be a birdwatcher. Joining me are award-winning illustrator Astred Hicks and BirdLife Australia’s Dr Holly Parsons. Together they’ve written a book called This Bird, and they’ve come on the show to share their love of Australia’s birds. Astred, we’ve never met you before - can you tell us how you got into birds?Astred Hicks [00:01:34]
I have a long history of how I came to it. My child has a hungry brain, and my mum was an entomologist. She would take him out on little field trips, including birdwatching. I started tagging along, and that slowly turned into me wanting to go birdwatching myself. It tapped into a creative noticing side of what I do. Noticing and observing the world is a big part of my creative practice. During lockdown, like many families, we were desperate to get outside. We went to our local bush park and found birdwatching to be really calming and connecting. It became something we did together as a family.Kirsty Costa [00:03:27]
Astred, it’s so great to have you here. And Holly, welcome back. We last chatted in Episode 104 about Gang-gang Cockatoos. What’s been a memorable bird moment for you recently?Dr Holly Parsons [00:04:52]
Going birdwatching with the Sydney Bird Club was a highlight. It was such a lovely way to reconnect with people and get outside. I don’t always get to go birding as much as I’d like, even though I work in the field, so that experience felt really recharging.Kirsty Costa [00:05:43]
That sense of noticing everyday birds is something that really comes through in your new book, This Bird. Astred, how did the book come about?Astred Hicks [00:07:35]
The idea came during lockdown. I was noticing all the birds in my local area and wanted to share that with others, especially kids. I wanted people to keep that connection to nature, even when life returned to normal. I pitched the idea to CSIRO Publishing, and they suggested bringing in an ornithologist. That’s how I met Holly, and it was an instant connection.Dr Holly Parsons [00:10:40]
I said yes straight away. I love talking to people about birds, and especially connecting with kids. We wanted the book to feel joyful and engaging while still being grounded in science. It’s not a field guide, but it still introduces scientific concepts like habitat and behaviour in a really accessible way.Kirsty Costa [00:12:20]
It sounds like such a beautiful collaboration. Let’s talk about some of the birds in the book. Astred, was there one that really captured your heart?Astred Hicks [00:15:48]
Definitely the Powerful Owl. There’s a pair near where I live that returns every year, and I sketched them while working on the book. The Tawny Frogmouths nearby also had babies during that time, so they made their way into the book too. They feel like my local bird family.Kirsty Costa [00:17:44]
Holly, has working on this book changed your relationship with birds?Dr Holly Parsons [00:17:44]
It’s reminded me how important it is to just notice. A lot of my work focuses on conservation, which can be heavy. This book brought me back to the simple wonder of birds - even the common ones we see every day.Astred Hicks [00:18:42]
I learned that Silvereyes travel much further than I realised. These tiny birds move across huge distances, and that really surprised me.Kirsty Costa [00:19:20]
Silvereyes are such beautiful little birds. They have an olive body and that distinctive pale ring around the eye, and they’re always chatting to each other. Once you notice them, you start hearing them everywhere.Dr Holly Parsons [00:20:33]
Spotted Pardalotes are another favourite. They dig tunnels into the ground for their nests, which is just incredible. It’s something people often don’t realise.Kirsty Costa [00:21:35]
Astred, your book really encourages playful birdwatching. Do you have any tips for watching birds with kids?Astred Hicks [00:21:37]
I like to play a game called “stick or Tawny”. It’s about spotting Tawny Frogmouths and figuring out if you’re looking at a bird or just a stick. It’s a fun way to get kids noticing. You can also look for nests, hollows or termite mounds and see what might be living there. It’s about curiosity and noticing what’s around you.Kirsty Costa [00:25:43]
I love that idea of people feeling proud of the birds in their neighbourhood. When we start noticing birds, we realise we’re all part of the same ecosystem.Dr Holly Parsons [00:26:03]
That’s exactly it. Birds aren’t somewhere else - they’re right outside your front door. And once you start noticing them, you realise how much is happening around you.Kirsty Costa [00:27:07]
This has been such a lovely chat. Thank you both for sharing your love of birds with us. This Bird is available now, and I highly recommend it if you’d like to spark curiosity about birds in your life or in the lives of young people around you. I’ll speak to you again soon.
