This Bird

This Bird – Noticing Our Urban Birds

Astred Hicks with Holly Parsons

CSIRO Publishing, 2025

64pp., hbk., RRP $A32.99

9781486318452 

Look out the window, stand in the backyard, play in the park – you don’t need to go far to see intriguing birds. Whether it’s the tiny fairy wren that only changes into its striking blue suit when the male is ready to mate, the comb-crested jacana that  can walk on water, or the peregrine falcon that nests on the ledges of city buildings making it the star of live-stream, our skies are alive with birds each with its unique habitat and habits. 

Identified by catchy captions, such as This bird is a tiny explorer and This bird is loud,  this new release from CSIRO Publishing features fun facts about some remarkable Australian native birds and hints on where (and how) to find them! Beginning with some general information about birds, each double page spread features a particular species with colourful illustrations interspersed with interesting information aimed at the independent reader who wants to know a little bit more than just their names.   Each page features an ‘eye’ symbol that offers a physical description, while a “binoculars’ symbol and a map show the distribution of the species  A glossary offers explanations of unfamiliar words, and each species featured is included in an index so regardless of the heading, it is easy to find the specific bird you are looking for,  In fact, that in itself could become a teaching point because the list of contents is vague – for example, “This bird is cheeky” reveals itself as the common galah. 

Written in partnership with a bird scientist, it offers authoritative information that celebrates those birds that we see so often we take them for granted, celebrating their diversity while encouraging readers to think about why they look like they do, eat what they eat and so forth and the role their environment plays on these factors.  

As well as being an invitation to be more aware of the birds we see and hear around us, this book would also be most useful in helping young citizen scientists who might be involved in projects like the annual Aussie Bird Count. However it also lends itself to investigating which species have been introduced since European settlement, and which were known to First Nations  peoples- perhaps even compiling a dictionary of their names for them, similar to the dual vocabulary commonly used in New Zealand

Another quality release from CSIRO Publishing that inspires curiosity and encourages exploration of the world around us.