Podcast: Play in new window
This is what we want you to do. We want you to google ‘Bird jizz’. Make sure you include the word ‘bird’.
Turns out bird watchers, twitchers, breeders, and birders can be in such a separate world to the rest of us that they use the word jizz to describe ‘the overall impression of a bird garnered from such features as shape, posture and flying style’. They use it all the time, without giggling.
This week on All the Best, we learn a whole lot more about people who love birds. We love them, a bit. We love our overall impression of them. We love their style.
Canaries with bowl cuts
Produced by Michaela Morgan
The Vulnerability of the Superb Fairywren
Dr Michelle Hall says Superb Fairywrens are sometimes considered to be “Australia’s favourite birds”. As part of a research team at Melbourne University, Michelle is investigating the personalities of a population of fairy wrens living at Serendip Sanctuary, near Geelong in Victoria. Not only cute, with bright plumage and sweet-sounding songs, fairy wrens are fiercely loyal. Superb Fairywrens, “marry” partners, with low divorce rates, and form strong family bonds. Michelle spoke to a group of birdwatchers at Birdlife Melbourne about personality and behavioural differences between individual fairywrens. Bec Fary listened in, and found out fairy wren families can be vulnerable
Dr Michelle Hall is a research fellow at Melbourne University’s zooology school, as part of Professor Raoul Mulder’s team – he is an associate professor of animal behaviour and evolution.
Produced by Bec Fary
Twitchers saving the planet
If you listen closely, there might be a bird twittering outside your window right now. Sometimes we’ll be struck by the closeness of these winged creatures, when seagulls snatch at our fish and chips, or a pigeon finds its way into the supermarket. But when these momentary curiosity builds, birdwatching can become an obsession. Bec Fary went to the monthly meeting of Birdlife Melbourne, where she met with author Tim Dalby. Tim is the author of Where to See Birds in Victoria (Allen and Unwin) and recently published Finding Australian Birds (CSIRO).
You can find Birdlife Australia on Facebook, or at their website.
Produced by Bec Fary
What sort are you?
Are you an ISTJ, ENFP, or an ENTJ? Or perhaps even a D-I-S or C ?
Produced by Joel Carnegie
Presenters: Michaela Morgan and Michael Brydon
Community Coordinator: Pip Rasmussen
Executive Producer: Giordana Caputo
Features Executive Producers: Heidi Pett & Jess O’Callaghan
Image Credit: slimmer_jimmer