A whole lot of pride, a whole lot of bird love
THEIR STORY
Brittany’s connection with birds is rooted in the Top End, but her story reaches far beyond across Australia.
An ecologist by training and a community-builder by passion, Brittany is one the quite shapers defining what birding means today. She is a true community builder, created around a whole lot of fun and purpose. Brittany is behind the brilliant Hot Girl Bird Watching in Darwin, a bird happy group that centres around women and LGBTQIA+ people.
Brittany volunteers with organisations across the Top End, and serves as Convenor of the BirdLife Top End committee, helping shape how local people engage with birds and their habitats. Brittany's leadership was recognised when she was named a Finalist in the 2021 Northern Territory Young Achiever Awards, acknowledged for her conservation and communication work.
Brittany is part of a growing, vibrant, inclusive birding lifestyle, who doesnt take it self too seriously and we're delighted to have them join us for this series of BIRD Tales.
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What is one bird encounter you will never forget?
The bird that started it all was the Gouldian Finch! I was on an undergrad placement on a project researching Gouldian Finches in the east Kimberley. As part of the research we were catching them and attaching tiny radio transmitters to understand their movement and how they used the landscape in response to resources.
Being able to observe these birds, and others that would fly into the nets and be released, gave me an appreciation for birds I hadn't had before! You can't hold a Gouldian finch in the hand and not fall in love I think! Also, they have become an emblem of the fight to save Lee Point-Binybara from development, and you can see pictures of them painted all over Darwin with the slogan "Save Lee Point".
A couple of years ago they were seen in a large (100-200birds) flock in the savanna woodland to the north of Darwin.
You’ve got a golden ticket to go anywhere in the world to see a bird? Where would you go and why?
One place that stands out is Alaska, one of the places migratory shorebirds go to breed. In Darwin we see thousands of them in their non-breeding plumage, it would be incredible to see them in their breeding plumage in a completely different environment! I am in awe of the distances migratory shorebirds travel and the physiological adaptations they have to make these journeys.
All over the world there are communities who love and care for them. There is a town in Alaska that has a shorebird festival every year, which I found out during the inaugral Darwin-Garamilla Shorebird Festival.
It's amazing to think how they connect communities across the world through their epic migrations!
How is birding part of your life today?
Birding is a way I unwind, I find it to be incredibly mindful, but it is also how I connect with my community. Through hot girl bird watching I aim to connect people to their environment, and each other. Especially in Darwin, there has been a recent proliferation of activities promoting LGBTIA+ inclusion and representation, and supporting community creation.
It is another way to connect with each other, challenge the 'typical' image of who goes bird watching (pale, stale and male in khaki!) and who belongs outside. I hope that through hot girl birdwatching I can provide a safe and inclusive space for people who might not think birdwatching is for them (the girls, the gays and the theys!) to explore it and experience the joy of connecting with birds and their habitats!
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