“We’re not sure if it’s climate change or not, but what we do know is that the coast has always been a refuge,” Dr. Martin said.

Sydney is not ideal for all. Tiny birds like the superb fairy-wren, with its bright blue markings, seem to be declining because they need brambles and weeds to hide in, and urbanization tends to cut that away.

But for larger and more territorial birds, Sydney is quite comfortably home.

At one point in the park, we walked by a group of parrots with bright pink heads. They were galahs, which has become slang for lovable doofus. They didn’t make a sound, nor did they mind me getting within inches of them.

Many of Sydney’s birds seem to like their human neighbors. Scientists have determined magpies can form friendships with people. Cockatoos are highly social too.

I was wondering if the same was true for kookaburras, and then, as I was finishing this article, Ferrari and Lamborghini returned. They showed up just before dark and took their perch near my daughter’s window. They nuzzled. They screeched their unique good night and good morning. It’s quite a racket. But we’re hoping they stay.