Weekend Birder

Bird questions can get wonderfully out of hand. For the season four finale, Sean Dooley and Jonah Lafferty answer listener questions about ravens, dinosaurs, car park birds, migration, field guides and what birds can tell us about a changing world.Many thanks to Weekend Birder listeners for submitting your questions - Abby P, Brooke Y, Clare Presser, Dani K, Hugh Possingham, John T, Kelly W, Kirstie I, Lewie I, Lian W, Louis and Tom HThis episode also features Andrew Skeoch and Tim Low. Birds featured: Australian Pelican, Budgerigar, Bush Stone-curlew, Gang-gang Cockatoo, Little Raven, Noisy Pitta, Pacific Koel, Purple-crowned Lorikeet, Southern Cassowary, Zebra FinchEpisode illustration: Budgerigar

Honeyeaters don’t just sing at dawn - they listen. In our 150th episode, Andrew Skeoch returns to share what he’s learnt about honeyeater songs, and how they reveal something deeper about birds, place and belonging.Birds featured: New Holland Honeyeater, Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater, Yellow-tufted Honeyeater, White-eared HoneyeaterEpisode illustration: White-eared Honeyeater

Rarity can make a bird feel precious, but it can also change how we see everything else. Author and science journalist Justine Hausheer shares her thinking about common birds, endangered species and her book The Vanishing Wild.Birds featured: Australasian Bittern, Golden-shouldered Parrot, Rainbow Lorikeet, Regent HoneyeaterEpisode illustration: Regent Honeyeater

At this school, it’s completely normal to stop class for a bird. Catherine Shaw shares how The Nature School helps young connect with the world around them.Birds featured: Bar-tailed Godwit, Brolga, Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfisher, Glossy Black-Cockatoo, Golden Whistler, Lewin’s Honeyeater, Regent Honeyeater, Square-tailed KiteEpisode illustration: Golden Whistler (male)

At first, it just feels like a quiet hobby - then you realise how many people love it too. Natalie Kyriacou shares her insights into human relationships with nature and her new book Nature’s Last Dance.Birds featured: KākāpōEpisode illustration: Kākāpō

You can learn a lot about a place by noticing which birds are still there. Kai Hill-Crofts shares stories of birds, ecology and growing up on Country.Birds featured: Eastern Osprey, Superb Fairywren, White-bellied Sea-eagle Episode illustration: White-bellied Sea-eagle

Woodlands can feel empty until you learn where to look. Ecologist Emi Arnold shares how to identify the birds living in Australia’s woodland habitats.Birds featured: Brown Treecreeper, Diamond Firetail, Glossy Black-CockatooEpisode illustration: Diamond Firetail

Birdwatching can quietly change how you see yourself. Mia Grundy shares how everyday birding and photography has helped her through tough times and shaped her identity.Birds featured: Rainbow Bee-eater, Sacred KingfisherEpisode illustration: Rainbow Bee-eater

Little Penguins come ashore each night - but there’s a lot we don’t see. This encore episode with researcher Paula Wasiak explores penguin behaviour, conservation and life on Phillip Island.Birds featured: Cape Barren Goose, Little Penguin, Short-tailed ShearwaterEpisode illustration: Little Penguin