You don’t have to be a twitcher to use this book. In fact, it’s not designed for the knowledgeable bird lover or those that might camouflage themselves in a box up a tree. It’s meant for people like me who have an interest in birds. I just want to know what that bird is that’s flapping in my birdbath or having a rest on my veranda railing.

This book is for those of us who live in the 20 biggest cities in Australia, from our capitals to eastern state major cities such as Townsville, Ballarat and Albury-Wodonga. This is where 80 per cent of our population lives.

At the start Jones discusses why he chose the birds he has, provides a key to follow which tells us where the birds may be active, such as mudflats, what sort of food they eat, such as berries or invertebrates, and where they make their home, such as in the city or inland waters.

He goes though ‘Birdwatching 101’, how to use the book, how it’s arranged and attracting more birds to your yard. He talks about how to get started, Indigenous understanding around birds and what his hopes are for the guide once it’s in your hands. Then of course it provides a page for each bird with a photo and all the information to learn about it.

Getting To Know The Birds In Your Neighbourhood is not a full-on comprehensive guide but is great for the people like me. I also found watching for birds and identifying them, really listening to them, made me feel happy.

Reviewed by Emily Ross

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I am a Professor Emeritus at Griffith University where I’ve worked for over three decades as a lecturer, researcher and academic mentor, supervising over a 100 Honours, Masters and PhD candidates.

I have published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles and ten books. I am strongly committed to communicating my studies to everyone, in both scientific and general audiences. I am often in the media and have a regular radio slot on ABC Radio (Australia), speaking about urban wildlife.

My research has been focussed on the various ways that humans interact with wildlife. This includes human-wildlife conflicts, the impacts of roads and traffic on biodiversity, the complexities of feeding wild birds and importance of connecting with nature.

Visit Darryl Jones’ website