In Australia, we are fortunate that so many wild species can be seen without us having to leave our own homes.

It might not occur to us just how special it is to look through the window and spot a squadron of jewel-coloured rainbow lorikeets spearing through the air to join their mates in a nearby tree, or to witness the amusing antics of your neighbourhood flock of shrieking, cheeky sulphur-crested cockatoos.

We are in danger of taking the animals that live around us for granted, or worse still, of finding them a nuisance and looking for ways to deter them. At Australian Geographic we have long championed the value of the natural world, no matter how far or near that world may be. In this book we revisit many of the stories of the species that we encounter in our daily city lives.

Australia is the most urbanised nation on earth and yet we share our built environment with a cavalcade of amazing, fascinating native creatures. We examine some of the issues around our complex relationship with nature, we discover more about those familiar backyard species, and we offer advice on how to encourage wild things into your garden for their benefit, and yours.