This year, the competition received over 6,000 entries and selected nine winners of each category from a shortlist of 68 photos. The categories were “Backyard Birds”, “Bird Behaviour”, “Bird Portrait”, “Birds in Flight”, “Birds in the Landscape”, “Special Theme (Wading Birds of The Australian Floodplains)”, “Youth” and “Human Impact”.
Scroll down to discover the impressive images!
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Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Wentworth Falls, NSW"Being able to capture both the ‘fingertips’ of the feathers in flight and the cockatoo’s head and feet in the background makes this a magical image for me. Shooting in burst mode enabled me to capture just the right composition."
The judges of this year’s competition were Michael Snedic, Tim van Leeuwen, Josh Galicki, Lia Bocchiaro, Georgina Steytler, Charles Davis, and Shelley Pearson.
Little Corella, La Trobe University, Vic"While doing a bit of birding at the La Trobe University wetlands I noticed a large flock of Little Corellas on one of the ovals with several pairs rolling around in the grass. I got down as low as I could to fire off some shots and managed to get this photo of what looks like a couple of old friends sharing a hilarious joke."
New Holland Honeyeater, Albany, WA"We have a small Lilac Tree in the garden that grows in front of our living room window. Its branches are favorite perches for our resident New Holland Honeyeaters. In the evening they come and go from the perch, and I noticed our dining room feature light was visible through the window behind them. Knowing their perching habits gave me an opportunity to compose a portrait late in the evening with the light as a feature of the photo. The out-of-focus light resembles the form of a flower, creating a unique but appropriate backdrop for this nectar-loving bird."
According to the organizers, the competition is open to people of any nationality. However, photographers may only submit photos of Australian bird species and they must have been taken in Australia or its offshore territories.
Australian Magpie, Mt Macedon, Vic"This Magpie is actually a dear friend of mine and often visits me at the backdoor of my Mum’s place. We play a game where we bob our heads from side to side, either side of an upright post. One day, I thought I’d take my camera out with me, and this was the photo that resulted. Despite his friendly and playful nature, he looks classically evil. For me, the black and white feathers of the Magpie represent the Yin and Yang. The concept is that all things exist as inseparable and contradictory opposites. We wouldn’t know light without dark, happiness without sadness, life without death. When it comes to Magpies, despite their intelligence in interacting with humans, and beautiful song, they’re mostly known for their aggressive swooping during breeding season. Though if we look beyond their aggression, we realize they’re just protecting their family. They swoop with courage. They swoop with love. But they also swoop with fear. And this reminds us of the inextricable link between love and fear, Yin and Yang."
BirdLife Photography is an integral part of BirdLife Australia, where it unites enthusiasts who share a passion for both birds and photography. It serves as a community hub where bird and photography lovers come together to celebrate the beauty of avian life through the lens.
Scarlet Robin, Lake Leschenaultia, WA"Walking around the lake at sunrise, I came across this Scarlet Robin flitting around in the trees. I positioned myself so the bird lined up with a tree in the background as I didn’t want a silhouette, and I underexposed the image a little. Which allowed me to retain detail in the brighter parts of the photo, and avoid blowing out the beautiful rim lighting around the bird and the sun filtering through the trees."
Little Egret, Mandurah, WA"A Little Egret takes off gracefully, leaving a sparkle of water droplets in its wake."
“BirdLife Photography provides both a forum and resource for photographers, bird observers and the public to enhance their knowledge and appreciation of birds through the medium of photography.”
Australasian Darter, South Perth Jetty, WA"The Darters jostle for a perch on the jetty - this one got lucky and stayed around long enough for me to crouch down low for this photo."
Little Pied Cormorant, Braeside Park, Vic"This was such a heart-wrenching situation, not only the adult’s anguish at being entangled in nylon filament but also the juvenile’s desperation as it tries to free its parent. I called a specialist rescue service that was unable to save this bird."
White-faced Heron, Perth, WA"The somewhat messy, but beautifully colored background inspired the title of this image. For those of you who don’t know, The Carpenters released a hit song in the ’70s called Jambalaya on the Bayou. It was a happy song with a tuneful beat, and it spoke of life on the Bayou… my thoughts of a Bayou include water everywhere, flooded cypress trees with Spanish Moss hanging from their branches, and swampland with wading birds…"
Australasian Darter, Lake Macquarie, NSW"Just at sunset, a female Australasian Darter looks up from preening after her final successful fishing session for the day. These birds are so angular it is difficult to get an interesting composition. This shot captures what these birds do underwater. One can imagine this is the last thing a fish sees as the long neck launches that bill piercing it like a spearfisher would."
White-plumed Honeyeater, Bundoora, Vic"White-plumed Honeyeaters are extremely fast flying birds and excellent divers but are very timid and unapproachable. I often see them diving into water holes or wetlands to wash their plumage, however, I found catching the moment that Honeyeaters dive to be very challenging especially given how alert and cautious they are of humans. It was so thrilling to capture this spectacular scene after many attempts and a lot of patience."
Superb Fairy-wren, Tamworth, NSW"There are several families of Superb Blue Wrens living at my mother’s place, and I often sit and watch them popping around her garden. They are such happy little birds."
Rainbow Bee-eater, Perth, WA"A small group of Rainbow Bee-eaters were using this branch as a perch to launch feeding sorties. Their target was dragonflies, and two of the birds in this image can be seen with prey in their bills. Rainbow Bee-eaters make attractive backlit subjects because of their elegant lines and transparent flight feathers. In this instance, I felt the silhouetted subjects and delicate finger-like twigs combine nicely to present an image that offers a similar style to a Chinese painting."
Little Corella, Coodanup Foreshore Reserve, WA"Walking back to the car along the Coodanup Foreshore, I came across a large flock of what I believe were Little Corellas. They were feeding on the ground around the car park. I saw these two perched together on an open branch and thought it would make a cute photo. I composed the image in portrait orientation and chose to overexpose the image to get a nice, clean, white background."
Chestnut Teal, Healesville, Vic"Early morning walks reveal remarkable but momentary combinations of light, atmosphere, and fauna that are challenging to capture as images. This photo shows the antics of local waterbird species, cavorting on the water, as foggy shafts of light pierce the morning. This image caught what was the only time I have seen the atmospheric effects enclosing a normally wide aspect into an intimate theatre. Australian Wood Ducks and Chestnut Teals breed here every year, and animate our lake with cycles of feeding, breeding, and fledging."
Southern Cassowary, Tully Gorge National Park, Qld"We were driving in Tully Gorge NP and pulled off the road. To our surprise, this young Southern Cassowary was standing there. He was as curious about us as we were about him - whilst maintaining a safe distance! I love the tilt of his head and the way his casque looks like a cap, which I have emphasized with the way I have cropped the photo."
Grey Fantail, Port Melbourne, Vic"Grey fantails are restless birds and they hardly stop moving. I have long admired their beauty and aerial skill. I have observed the behavior captured in this shot for many years in our local park . After many failed attempts, I eventually caught this bird’s mid-air action catching mosquitos. I think the backlit bird against a dark background really highlight the bird’s beautiful wings."
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Wentworth Falls, NSW"The specific focus of this shot on the eyes and surrounding eyelash feathers, along with the adorable stray feather on the right-hand side of the image gives this a unique perspective, with unfocused elements in front (the beak) and the back (the bush). This was taken using the iPhone portrait mode."
Common Noddy, Lord Howe Island, NSW"I travel to Lord Howe Island twice a year, once to see the mating rituals of birds and then later to photograph the fledglings learning new behaviours that will help with survival. Having observed them over a few years, I’ve learnt that if I dig a hole in the sand and partially bury myself the young Noddys ignore me and go about their natural behaviour. This photo was taken 5 days into a trip in Lord Howe Island with challenging weather conditions including wind, rain and thick fog - I was fortunate this cleared on the last day and I was able to get a few behavioural shots. This was one of my favourites as it was a glimpse into how they hunt as adults - hovering just above the ground or sea and skimming for food."
Spotted Harrier, Brown Falcon, Richmond, NSW"While pulled over on the side of the road, I was very lucky to witness this epic fight between a Spotted Harrier and a Brown Falcon. The Spotted Harrier was flying slowly across the field, trying to conceal a Golden-headed Cisticola it had just captured when a Brown Falcon showed up with thievery in mind."
Emu, Winton, Qld"The Emu’s facial profile is always so filled with character and is impossible not to fall in love with. In this shot, I have specifically aimed to get as much of a profile/portrait shot as possible and be mindful not to invade its space. This particular Emu was one of a small group and appeared to be the Boss, hence the title."
Great Crested Grebe, Perth, WA"Great Crested Grebes are most frequently seen in the water, snoozing, diving, courting, or with cute fluffy chicks on their backs. So I was thrilled to see one airborne and capture it in flight when I least expected it. Visiting an urban lake that is well known for these grebes, I chose a position to use the shadows and light, hoping to capture something backlit. I saw two birds flying towards me from the far side of the lake and locking onto one, I tracked it as it flew past and captured it as it banked and its wings caught the morning light."
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Australasian Darter, Braeside Park, Vic"Each time this Australasian Darter dived I had no idea where it would briefly resurface, sometimes without food, sometimes swallowing it quickly and just this once tossing a Common Galaxias into the air to ensure it went down head first. The way the darter is rising from the water, with duck weed clinging to its feathers, reminds me of a sculpture emerging from its plinth."
Australian Pied Oystercatcher, Perth, WA"On this trip to my capital city, I wanted to get some creative bird photos using city lights as a backdrop. After scouting some locations the evening before, I arrived an hour before sunrise and got into a position for the compositions I wanted. Some obliging birds gave me a few opportunities but handholding my 500mm lens at low shutter speeds, acquiring focus manually, and pushing my exposure settings made getting a shot really difficult. Eventually, this Pied Oyster Catcher posed in the perfect position long enough to hold focus and capture a silhouette portrait that’s bursting in color from the city lights."
Tawny Frogmouth, Herdsman Lake, WA"My mum found this Tawny Frogmouth trying to blend in with the tree, sitting above the path. I positioned myself to take the photo so I was facing the frogmouth front on as I wanted to show the bird’s awesome camouflage. Except when I looked back at my images, I noticed the bird wasn’t quite blending in, as though it had picked the wrong tree to sleep in for the day."
New Holland Honeyeater, Mallala, SA"We have a lot of New Holland Honeyeaters in our garden and this branch is one of their favorites to land on. However, this branch is in shadow for the majority of the day with the sun shining on it for only about half an hour. With the background still being in shadow, I waited for the sun to hit the branch then underexposed in the camera. I changed the photograph to black and white to add more drama to the shot."
Black Swan, South Perth, WA"Early morning movement from all residents along the south Perth foreshore. The swans awake and swim across the lake, looking for food."
Royal Spoonbill, Orange, NT"Royal Spoonbill amongst the reeds."
Silver Gull, Fremantle, WA"During a walk along the Victoria Quay I was shooting some photos of the seagulls flying around me, I noticed there were moments where they would fly directly above me. I tried for a shot like this one a few times but failed until I eventually captured one of the birds scratching itself mid-flight."
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Yellow-faced Honeyeater, Kaiserstuhl Conservation Park, SA"I had spent several weeks returning to the same area of the park, watching and photographing a wide variety of native birds feeding on the Grass Trees. After taking a lot of front-lit shots, I set myself the challenge of getting some “last light” backlit shots, capturing some behavior with warmer light. I knew the instant I checked the back of the camera with this image that I’d captured a special moment, as the Yellow-faced Honeyeater showered itself in pollen as it plucked the flower from the stem!"
Australasian Darter, near Bendigo, Vic"It was a sunrise moment of pure serendipity. As the sun was slowing rising, the Darter rested on a tree stump drying its wings. I waited for a short moment until the mist moved upward to the ‘ideal’ position. The original scene has the golden glow of sunrise but little other colour so I have converted the photo to black and white."
Bush Stone-curlew, Macleay Island Jetty, Qld"One night in April I went down to pick up a passenger off the late ferry. The Macleay Island jetty (then still under major reconstruction) was deserted except for myself and this attentive Bush Stone-Curlew. Both of us waiting. The Curlew just stood there as if the construction, signs, lights, and dead machinery had stumped it. I slowly walked within a few meters and took the shot with my phone, then retreated a little. I too was somewhat stunned at the implications for wildlife of the multi-million dollar upgrade to the jetty and the extended parking areas. I stood with the Curlew for a while. Then quietly I retreated to take a fenced-in, man-made detour to the jetty proper. The concrete concentrations. Mine. The curlew’s… where will it go?"
Black-necked Stork, Great Egret, Cairns, Qld"A Black-necked Stork keeps a watchful eye on an Egret who has caught a fish and is rapidly walking away."
Purple Swamphen, Lake Leschenaultia, WA"I found a pair of Purple Swamphen feeding along the edge of the lake. They were picking up, what seemed to be, little sticks or roots in their feet and then nibbling at them. I kneeled down on the path for a lower angle and focused on the bird’s head, then whenever it bent down to eat, I took a burst of photos until I got a sharp one."
White-faced Heron, Tamar Island, Tas"On a mystical fog-laden morning on one of my favorite walks, a White-faced Heron perches gracefully upon the remnants of once-abandoned farmland, now transformed into a vital part of the Tamar Island Wetlands Reserve. This captivating scene serves as a powerful reminder of the restorative power of human intervention, where the discarded remnants of the past become the foundation for a thriving habitat that is home to nearly 60 species of birds. Amidst the fog’s embrace, the Heron stands as a symbol of resilience and adaptability. This encounter evokes a profound sense of wonder, urging us to cherish and protect our natural heritage."
Australian Reed Warbler, Lake Gwelup, WA"Walking along the shore of Lake Gwelup in the morning, the light was amazing, soft and pastel. Dad and I spotted a small bird popping up in the reeds, calling and scurrying back down the reeds again only to repeat this in another spot. We sat and waited with the camera focused. This time it popped up and called for longer, allowing me to capture a series of photos. This one is my favorite. I love the glow of the morning light around the bird, his beak open, calling, and the way the reeds fall in and out of focus giving a sense of the bird’s habitat and the gentle colors. The photo is barely edited, just a very minor tweak to make it sing."
Pied Stilt, Perth, WA"Urban wetlands and estuaries are becoming sanctuaries for dwindling populations of wading waterbird species as they learn to adapt to developed landscapes. Pied Stilts are among a number of species that can be found in a handful of locations along the Swan River, despite the prevalence of walkers, cyclists, dogs, boats, light pollution and other disturbances. I captured this image of a Stilt taking off high above Perth’s skyline as a metaphor for the urban encroachment onto critical wetland habitats that are forcing shorebirds, many endangered, to find refuge elsewhere."
Masked Lapwing, Bribie Island, Qld"A Masked Lapwing in a full stretch-yank with a worm. This worm wasn’t going to let go easily, and I was able to get nice and low as the Lapwing leaned back pulling the worm out of its sandy home."
New Holland Honeyeater, Balyang Sanctuary, Geelong, Vic"I like shots that show birds in their wider environment. I noticed this honeyeater clinging to a reed, swamped with buzzing mosquitoes and think it has made an interesting shot."
Australian Pied Oystercatcher, Cairns, Qld"A leucistic Australian Pied Oystercatcher catches the last light as it retreats to the mangroves."
Pied Stilt, Wagin, WA"Over summer I camped out at a receding salt lake where several species of shorebirds were gathering as other lakes in the district dried up. Lying on the shoreline in late afternoon 38-degree heat was incredibly uncomfortable, but I waited patiently for some golden light. A large flock of Pied Stilts were most active, feeding and squabbling. One Stilt was particularly dominant and cranky, so I kept my lens on it hoping to capture some action. As the sun dropped low on the horizon, it picked another fight then landed right in front of some reflected light (perfect for a rim-lit silhouette) and let out a territorial call before resuming feeding."
Australian Pelican, Alcoa Wetlands, Wellard, WA"It was a magically still and misty morning on the lake with a flock of Pelicans and a couple of Pied Stilts waiting for the rising sun. I liked the changing light on the birds from left to right in relation to the rising sun."
Little Penguin, North West coast, Tas"Nothing stands in the way of progress, especially wildlife. A Little Penguin peers out from under a barrier, cut from an old-growth tree that forms the edge of a parking area within the grounds of a busy wharf. To avoid putting the penguin under any undue stress, I took this without a flash, under a streetlight, and with the aid of the weak light from my phone shining along the foreground."
New Holland Honeyeater, Albany, WA"Almost every evening New Holland Honeyeaters perch in our cottage garden, singing and feeding on the flowers or hunting flying insects. They give me lots of opportunities to experiment with exposures, compositions and lighting techniques. On this evening at sunset as a honeyeater sang from one of its regular perches, I composed an image through three foreground layers of rose stems. This created a somewhat abstract effect to the photo as the leaves and stems created patterns in the golden bokeh shining through the background foliage."
Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Agnes Water, Qld"A pair of Scaly-breasted Lorikeets discovered their reflection in the door. We later found out that they thought the wood of the door was a good chewing post."
Black-shouldered Kite, Barabba, SA"Hovering! It’s what these birds do so well. I was trying to capture the movement in the wings so I lowered the shutter speed and used the side of the car to steady as I took the photo, hoping to keep a good focus on the eye. I find these birds contradictory in that as a bird of prey, they have a certain softness to them. I think this photo shows that as well."
Beach Stone-curlew, Sunshine Coast, Qld"I was doing a shorebird survey with my friend Microlight Milly when I found this beautiful Beach Stone-curlew family sheltering in the Grey Mangroves. I decided to lay down in the wet sand & wait to see if they would come out. It was incredible - the whole family came out and started to wander around me. I noticed the dad staring intently at the only Goat’s Foot flower out in the sand dunes. He just sat down and stared. I wondered what he was thinking as I took his photograph. After a while, the family went down to look for food along the water’s edge. It was such an amazing encounter."
Great Egret, Albany, WA"With a long band of thick sea fog enshrouding the harbor’s horizon, I instinctively picked up my 70-200mm lens to capture a wider composition and include the stunning layers of dawn sky, mist, reflections, and contrasting tones. Setting my camera for a silhouette of one of the Great Egrets fishing in the shallows, I focussed on a subject and was lucky to pick the moment. As I fired off a burst of shots, it launched into flight through the mist."
Cape Barren Goose, Flinders Chase National Park, SA"I had been dreaming to see the Cape Barren Goose for many years and read that Flinders Chase National Park is one of the best places to see them. Ten minutes after arriving at the park I was delighted to discover a goose just off the road in the bush. After parking and slowly following it around for a while in the rain I was just about to turn and head back to the car when another male came flying through the bush and immediately began its attack. I managed to capture this shot as the dominant male pinned the invader to the ground during the melee. Once the losing male left I noticed further into the bush was a female sitting on a nest so I decided to leave them be."
White-faced Heron, Wickham Point, Kings Beach, Qld"A White-faced Heron stands on the roof gutter of a house near the beach, its presence capturing the essence of the coastal surroundings. The black-and-white contrast adds depth to this urban encounter with nature. The image also captures the Heron’s elegant presence, symbolizing an urban sentinel amid the coastal landscape."
Galah, Currawinya National Park, Qld"Sitting and watching the sunset over a lagoon in outback Queensland, this Galah flew down for its afternoon drink while being bathed in a golden glow. Seeing and understanding typical behaviors helped me achieve this shot, allowing myself to position around where the light on the subject and background would be."
Common Blackbird, Lenah Valley, Tas"Just like me, this bird is far far away from home. Or is it? This particular “Blackbird most definitely doesn’t even know that Tasmania is not where it belongs. At most maybe something doesn’t feel quite right to this bird and everything seems a bit different than it should be. But at the end of the day, it is just a bird in a backyard bird environment doing bird things. Don’t get me wrong, I do agree that the Common Blackbird doesn’t really belong here but again it is European settlers that are to blame and not the bird itself. Although I sometimes feel the blackbirds here are quite a bit more skittish than back home in Europe, they do sometimes stop for a pose. Their abundance and frequent visits to the backyard make it possible to portray them in different ways than your “usual” bird pictures.”
Kelp Gull, Hobart CBD, Tas"I wonder frequently if the Hobart CBD Kelp Gulls think about moving out of the busy city. Or maybe they enjoy the loud concrete jungles? I took this picture from our home in the middle of a busy intersection. I do sometimes stare at the grey walls and wish I could move closer to nature. Did this particular Kelp Gull have the same thoughts? Urban birds have always had a special place in my birder heart. Their adaptation and resilience are fascinating and their presence makes me think about how many other species of birds we could coexist with in cities with more space for nature. During the shorter winter days, I find it sometimes challenging to photograph birds as much as I would like to. It’s dark when you leave the house for work and it’s dark when you get back. The last couple of months I often found myself on the rooftop of our apartment building during lunch breaks to get at least a few minutes of bird photography in per day. I didn’t expect to get much out of these short photography sessions but soon realized that the same Kelp Gulls are sitting on the same building day in and day out. After a couple of sessions, I finally made out a particular building and frame that I deemed interesting enough to photograph. With a bit of patience, the resident bird finally landed in one of its favorite spots and let me take this picture."
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