Thirteen-year-old Killian Sullivan and his dad, Brandon Sullivan, stood in a parking lot near the Nature Center at Blendon Woods Metro Park. Killian kept one eye on the sky, watching for any flurry of feathers.
“This is my local patch. So, I definitely bird here more than any other spot,” Killian said. “It's really good in the spring and fall because you get a lot of migrants that are coming through.”
It’s the middle of a June day, and the air is thick with the threat of rain. It’s not the best time to see birds, but Killian and his dad headed down a trail to look for a baby owl Killian had seen a few days before.
Killian raised his binoculars and gestured to a tree in the distance.
“This beech tree with the ‘Y,’ that's the tree that was on a few days ago,” Killian said.
“And you said it was small enough you don't think it was flying yet?” Brandon Sullivan asked.
They didn’t see the owl that day, but Killian heard plenty of birds as they walked back to the parking lot.
“I just heard a chickadee and then some Acadian flycatchers. There goes a peewee,” he said.
Brandon Sullivan called his son’s ability to identify birds by sound a ‘birding superpower.’
Young Birder of the Year
The American Birding Association recently named Killian, of Gahanna, the 2025 Young Birder of the Year for the ages 10 to 13 category. ABA’s Young Birder of the Year Mentoring Program began in 1998 to help birders ages 10 to 18 develop skills.
To earn his birding title, Killian had to complete several projects and win the attention of judges. He made digital art of birds, took photos, wrote articles that ended up getting published, and taught an introduction to birding class at his local Audubon center.
For those interested in getting into birding, Killian suggests starting small.
“Put up a feeder in your backyard, learn those birds, learn what they sound like and their behavior,” he said.
Killian’s birding journey took flight a few years ago on a family trip to California.
“We were walking back to our campground one day, and there were these blue and black birds just screaming,” Killian said. “And I just kind of fell in love with trying to figure out what they were and watching them.”
Those birds turned out to be Steller’s jays, and they sparked a passion that’s taken Killian and his family on plenty of adventures.
Life skills
Brandon Sullivan said he and his wife have always encouraged Killian and his two brothers to get outside and pursue their interests. When it comes to birding, Killian does most of the planning from research to reading maps to plotting stops.
“He does a lot of the research and tells us where certain birds are that he would like to see or what the best time of year is to go see them,” Brandon Sullivan said. “I don't mind driving, so I can be his chauffeur to the birds. It's kind of fun.”
Brandon Sullivan said that in addition to learning about birds, Killian has picked up lots of skills. He said, for example, Killian wanted to see what they jokingly call, some ‘weird chickens’ in Colorado – grouse, ptarmigans, and other chicken-like species. Tours were available, but they were expensive, so Killian planned the eight-day trip himself.
“It was 4,100 miles worth of driving, but it had notes on what towns we should get hotels. Maybe we should rent a car for a four-wheel drive to go up into these mountain passes. And I looked at it and it looked incredibly thorough. So, we said, ‘all right, it's spring break. Let's go ahead and try this,’” Brandon Sullivan said.
Birding goals
For Killian, all the research, preparation and trips have paid off. He and his dad have been to 49 states, inching Killian closer to his goal of spotting 700 American bird species by the end of this year.
It’s a feasible goal, since as of last week, he needed just eight more birds.
“But you know, once you’re in the high 600s, those eight birds can be pretty hard,” Killian said.
Killian will be going into 8th grade at Gahanna Middle School East. In addition to birding, he also rock climbs, which is a favorite pastime of his entire family. He also enjoys traveling and runs cross country. Birding, though, is his main love. Killian hopes to one day make a career out of it, either as a tour guide or field researcher.
“Chasing rare birds is really fun. And then I absolutely love the community. Everyone's so kind and helpful,” he said.
In the meantime, Killian is going to stay involved with the Ohio Young Birders Club, where he’s met many other young bird enthusiasts, and he’s going to keep listening, learning and teaching people about birds.
Ohio has around 300 different bird species. Killian’s favorite family is wrens, and his favorite bird is the Carolina wren.
“They're just super noisy and I like how cute and mad they look at the same time,” he said.
The birds live in Ohio year round, and Killian said there were probably some in Blendon Woods as he spoke.
