Weekend Birder
Australia’s most listened-to nature podcast
Over 150 episodes are waiting for you.
Hosted by Kirsty Costa, Weekend Birder invites you to discover the fascinating lives of everyday Australian birds through stories, science and shared experiences. With more than 150 episodes and listeners across the globe, it’s become Australia’s #1 Science Nature Podcast.
New to Weekend Birder? Here are three episodes to get you started.
Episode library
Below is the full episode library, including show notes. You can also search for a bird, topic or guest.
151 Ask Us Anything
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.
150 Honeyeaters at Dawn
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.
149 Chasing Rarity
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.
148 The Nature School
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.
147 The Birding Movement
At first, it just feels like a hobby and then you realise how many people are part of it. Natalie Kyriacou OAM shares her insights into human relationships with nature and her new book Nature’s Last Dance.
146 Birds on Country
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.
145 Woodland Birds
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.
144 Becoming a Birdwatcher
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.
Encore: Little Penguins
Little Penguins come ashore each night - but there’s a lot we don’t see. In this encore episode, researcher Paula Wasiak explores Little Penguin behaviour, conservation and life on Phillip Island.
143 Filming What We Miss
Sometimes the moment you miss is the one you remember most. Wildlife filmmaker Jeremy (jeremyfilmsthings) shares how filming birds has changed the way he sees and listens to the living world.
142 Next-Gen Hills Naturalists
Every bird sighting is a mystery waiting to be solved. 13-year-old bird lover Coen Pearson shares his journey from noticing little brown birds at Wilsons Promontory to launching a podcast and conservation group in the Dandenong Ranges.
141 Birding Between Games
A Powerful Owl was there the night Ben Cullen lost everything. He shares his deep commitment to birds, and the work he now does with Trust for Nature to protect habitat on private land.
140 Australian Owls
Most of us live closer to owls than we realise. Beth Mott introduces us to Australia’s owls and their unique behaviours, and what we can do to help them survive.
139 Making Space for Birds
A Powerful Owl was there the night Ben Cullen lost everything. He shares his deep commitment to birds, and the work he now does with Trust for Nature to protect habitat on private land.
137 Terns (Part 1) and 138 Terns (Part 2)
Australia’s terns are fast, fascinating and full of subtle differences. Dr Claire Greenwell shares how to tell Fairy Terns from Little Terns, what makes seabirds so unique and why community action is critical for their conservation.
136 Kingfishers in Cairns
Jonah Lafferty shares why Cairns is kingfisher heaven - from Little Kingfishers at the Botanic Gardens to Buff-breasted Paradise Kingfishers up on the Tablelands - plus his favourite local hotspots for birdwatching in Far North Queensland.
135 Pacific Black Duck
From its eyebrow to its shimmering wing panel, there is lots to learn about the Pacific Black Duck. Scientist and conservationist Jason Graham does a deep-dive (pun intended) into this impressive bird and provides insights into a large conservation story unfolding in Tasmania.
134 The 700 Birds Project
Artists Jane Rusden and Bridget Farmer share the story behind The 700 Birds Project - a long-term plan to travel in short trips and draw every bird they encounter.
133 Why do birds sing?
Dr Gráinne Cleary explains what birds are really doing when they sing. Along the way, she shares simple ways to tune your ear and hear birdsong as communication, not background noise.
132 Wingmate
Brandon Chapman chats about how birdwatching and game design come together in Wingmate, an app that helps people notice birds, build life lists and turn everyday walks into moments of curiosity and connection.

