Seán Ronayne: Nature Boy

Seán always knew he was different. Nicknamed ‘nature boy’ by the other kids, as a child he struggled to fit in and regularly escaped to the woods around his home in Cork. The natural world was his happy place, and there he soon discovered his unique talent – identifying birds through their sound and song. A passion that would save him in the weeks and months following a near‑death experience in his late teens. Even in the darkest times, nature became his guiding light.

As Seán found his path working as an ornithologist, he began to see how, by highlighting the wonder and beauty of the natural world, he could draw attention to the danger it currently faces.

And, at the age of thirty-two, Seán received an autism diagnosis and his life finally started to make sense. Here, Seán takes us on his journey. From his adventures in the Sahara Desert, the jungles of Nepal and the streets of Thailand, to discovering the night sounds of Catalunya, and his mission to sound record all the regularly occurring bird species in Ireland, Nature Boy is an inspiring story of love, connection and the healing power of nature.