Returning: Catalyst

Catalyst returns tonight for 2022 with “The Secret Lives of Our Urban Birds.”

Presenter of ABC Radio National’s new show What The Duck?! and self-confessed bird-nerd, Ann Jones, heads out on an urban safari through Melbourne, uncovering the secret lives of the city’s feathery friends.

From deadly raptors and warring Magpies to promiscuous Willy Wagtails – she uncovers a world filled with drama and intrigue.

With over 130 bird species calling Melbourne home, you can expect the usual suspects, like the warbling Magpies, who have adapted well with their strong social bonds and curiosity making them successful city dwellers. But as Ann learns, there’s a lot more than meets the eye… you just need to stop, watch and look a while. If you’re lucky you may even spot the more surprising city slickers – one of the rarest birds in Australia – the Orange-Bellied Parrot.

To catch a glimpse of our cutest avian neighbours, Ann heads to the bayside suburb of St Kilda where a colony of Little Penguins has taken up residence. Why have they left their offshore islands for a man-made breakwater so close to the city? And they’re not the only ones with an enviable address – a pair of nesting Peregrine falcons have traded clifftops for a Collins St skyscraper to raise their chicks.

While some thrive, others barely survive. For the Powerful Owl, city life is more of a necessity than a choice as increasing urbanisation destroys their habitat. To successfully nest and breed, Powerful Owls need hollows of old growth trees – hollows that can take up to 300 years to develop. But a solution may be at hand – Melbourne University is trialling 3D printed nests in the hope that we can replace what has been lost.

Production Details: Producer: Robbie Bridgman. Director: Bruce Permezel. Researcher: Chelsea Mose. Executive Producer: Penny Palmer. Head of Specialist: Jennifer Collins.

8:30pm tonight on ABC.