Creative images - either direct from camera, or via image processing.
This gallery contains "creative" images submitted by our members. These images can be either direct from camera, or created by image processing - there is no restriction on what is allowed. These images are based on an Australian bird (or birds), but the resultant image need not portray an immediately-recognisable bird. The Comments field has details of how the image was produced.
Critique Gallery
Critique
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Images for critique/comment by members
This gallery contains images that have been submitted for comments/critiques. Images in this gallery appear with a Comment section, where any members may submit comments regarding the image. These comments may be viewed by anyone viewing these images; however, only members may submit comments.
Landscapes/Habitat/KBAs
Non-bird
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Images of places or patches of habitat
This gallery contains images of places within Australia or its external territories/dependencies, such as long range/wide angle landscape photos, or patches of habitat, such as medium range views of typical scrub, forest, wetlands, etc.
This gallery was set up to provide BirdLife Australia with images for their conservation and engagement work especially around Key Biodiversity Areas; see www.birdlife.org.au/kba or birdata for more details of KBAs.
Main Library
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Main gallery for members' images. New Image submissions moved here after 30 days.
Standard gallery for all photos other than competitions. Images submitted to the New Images gallery are moved here after 30 days.
New Images
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New images submitted by members.
This gallery is for submission of members' images. Images will remain in this gallery for one month, then be moved to the Main Library, or another special gallery if selected for that gallery. Details of this gallery's operation are available here.
Pairs - Advanced Level
Competition
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Pairs competition, opened 10 Sep 2019.
The theme for this competition is Pairs; you must submit images showing a pair of birds, male and female, of the same species. For those species which cannot be clearly identified as male/female on the basis of plumage, we will accept images of pairs where the behaviour observed when photographed indicates that they are a male/female pair. Please remember that all competition entries must have relevant comments, including why you have chosen the image for the competition.
This competition is open for submission of entries from Tuesday 10th September 2019 until Monday 4th November 2019.
Pairs - Entry Level
Competition
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Pairs competition, opened 10 Sep 2019
The theme for this competition is Pairs; you must submit images showing a pair of birds, male and female, of the same species. For those species which cannot be clearly identified as male/female on the basis of plumage, we will accept images of pairs where the behaviour observed when photographed indicates that they are a male/female pair. Please remember that all competition entries must have relevant comments, including why you have chosen the image for the competition.
This competition is open for submission of entries from Tuesday 10th September 2019 until Monday 4th November 2019.
Pairs - Intermediate Level
Competition
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Pairs competition, opened 10 Sep 2019
The theme for this competition is Pairs; you must submit images showing a pair of birds, male and female, of the same species. For those species which cannot be clearly identified as male/female on the basis of plumage, we will accept images of pairs where the behaviour observed when photographed indicates that they are a male/female pair. Please remember that all competition entries must have relevant comments, including why you have chosen the image for the competition.
This competition is open for submission of entries from Tuesday 10th September 2019 until Monday 4th November 2019.
Premier Bird Images
Premier Images
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This Gallery displays the highest quality images captured by BirdLife Photography members.
This Gallery displays the highest quality images captured by BirdLife Photography members. The images have been selected by one of the Premier Bird Image Gallery Working Groups, each of which comprises three highly experienced bird photographers. Details of how images were selected for this gallery are available here. To view this gallery by individual species use the options provided by the Search button in the top left hand corner of the page.
Previous Bird ID Challenges
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The answers and comments for previous ID Challenges. Each challenge has its own gallery of images.
Previous Bird ID Challenges/Birds of the Inland
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The Birds of the Inland ID Challenge was conducted in February-March 2013, in 3 rounds, with 5 images per round. Click on a thumbnail image to open the full-size image and view the expert comments regarding identification.
Previous Bird ID Challenges/Birds on Islands
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Part or all of the populations of these species are found on marine islands belonging to the Commonwealth of Australia.
All of the Round 1 birds have introduced breeding populations on one or more islands. While most are readily identifiable, one or two surprises are included, and there is at least one tricky one. Round 2 will comprise species that are native to Australia (including vagrants) and will include some very tricky customers indeed.
Previous Bird ID Challenges/Bush Birds (aka LBJs)
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The Bush Birds ID Challenge was conducted in November 2010, in 2 rounds, with 10 images per round.
General comment for all images in the Bush Birds ID Challenge: The size and shape of the bird, and the size and shape of its bill, generally help to put these birds in their families of Scrubwrens, Thornbills, Gerygones etc. From there we have to try to pick out the key features.
Click on a thumbnail image to open the full-size image and view the expert comments regarding identification.
Previous Bird ID Challenges/Bush Birds (Revisited)
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The Bush Birds (Revisited) ID Challenge was held in March-April 2014; it comprised a single round of 10 images.
General comment for all images in this ID Challenge: The size and shape of the bird, and the size and shape of its bill, generally help to put these birds into their families of Honeyeaters, Robins, Scrubwrens, Thornbills, Gerygones etc. From there we work with the key features.
The April 2014 Newsletter article on this ID Challenge reports the various mis-identifications. Some of these are addressed in the comments for the individual images, but not all.
Click on a thumbnail image to open the full-size image and view the expert comments regarding identification.
Previous Bird ID Challenges/Dry Country Birds
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The Dry Country Birds ID Challenge was conducted in May 2015, in 2 rounds, with 10 images per round. Click on a thumbnail image to open the full-size image and view the comments regarding identification.
Previous Bird ID Challenges/Ducks and Drakes
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This theme was chosen to complement the first photographic competition of the year: ducks and pygmy geese. All species are as listed in the recently updated Birdlife Taxonomy.
Ducks and Drakes ID Challenge
This theme was chosen to complement the first BLP photographic competition of 2017.
Every bird observer sees ducks and drakes and pretty well everyone can pick out the common species like Pacific Black Duck. However, ducks can be difficult to identify. There are some tricky customers - such as splitting Grey Teal and Chestnut Teal. Ducks, as opposed to drakes, can look similar to ducks of other species. The set of diagnostic characters you need to observe in flight tend to be very different from the set of diagnostic characters you use when ducks are perched or swimming. Many ducks are shot at during their lives and such ducks have huge critical distances. They use the precautionary principle and take off and fly away if they feel threatened. This makes getting close enough to them to identify them without disturbing them a challenge. On the other hand, ducks in suburban ponds are often hand-fed, are habituated to humans, and will allow a very close approach. Finally, ducks are strong fliers, and there is always the possibility of the odd vagrant to add spice to the usual fare.
Previous Bird ID Challenges/Getting to the Bottom of Things
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The Getting to the Bottom of Things ID Challenge was held in Dec 2013-Jan 2014, in two rounds, with ten images per round.
Click on a thumbnail image to open the full-size image and view the comments regarding identification.
Previous Bird ID Challenges/Honeyeaters and Robins
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The Honeyeaters & Robins ID Challenge was held in May-June 2011, in four rounds, with five images per round.
Click on a thumbnail image to open the full-size image and view the expert comments regarding identification.
Previous Bird ID Challenges/Lady Birds
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The Lady Birds ID Challenge was held in August-September 2013, in three rounds, with six or seven images per round.
Click on a thumbnail image to open the full-size image and view the expert comments regarding identification. [Comments have yet to be added for these images.]
Previous Bird ID Challenges/Marathon Migrators
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Marathon Migrators: 2-round ID Challenge, held Sep-Oct 2018
This ID Challenge is Marathon Migrators; it focuses on migratory birds that return to Australia during the summer.
Along with the species name, there were four (4) questions:
What is the scientific name of this bird?
Where are the summer breeding grounds for this bird? (any country where they are known to breed will be accepted)
What is the size of this bird? (i.e. the measurement from bill-tip to tail)
According to BirdLife Australia's Working List, what is the conservation status of this bird?
CONTACT US
The easiest way to contact us is by emailing us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Our People page, in the About Us section, contains email links to each of the committee members.
