Ryan Kilgower

Ryan Kilgower is an avid birdwatcher, starting at the age of 18 whilst trying to keep his fitness levels up to make his school’s cross-country team. After noticing the abundance of bird life around his area, he started to log his sightings in eBird and became hooked on the hobby of birding.

This has taken him on a career pathway into the conservation industry, studying a Bachelor of Science and Arts at Monash University, majoring in Ecology and Conservation as well as Human Geography. Following the completion of his double degree, Ryan found employment as the Wetlands Support Officer at BirdLife Australia before progressing into his current role as the Orange-bellied Parrot Coordinator.

Ryan has seen over 300 species in Victoria and is active in the birding community. He is an admin of the popular Birds and Birding Facebook group and won the prestigious Hobsons Bay Big Day in 2022 with a team of young up-and-coming birders.

Ryan also volunteers his time with the Victorian National Park Association’s NextGen Nature Collective and is a data vetter for the Aussie Bird Count.

You can follow Ryan’s career progression on LinkedIn and Instagram.