The BirdLife Australia Photo Awards have announced the winning and shortlisted photo winners of their 2022 competition! With nearly 6,000 photographs submitted by photographers from around the world, BirdLife Australia, Australia’s largest bird conservation charity, celebrated the lives of birds and raised funds to support bird conservation programs. And the charity has also produced BirdLife Australia’s annual themed bird calendar for nearly 10 years now, with proceeds going towards all conservation efforts, including the future of Australia’s endangered bird species and their habitats.
They also said that each category winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize, while the portfolio winner will receive a $5,000 prize courtesy of major sponsor Nikon Australia. And the lucky winner of the Peter Slater Memorial Prize for a monochrome photograph will receive a stunning original portrait of the late Peter Slater. Importantly, the winners of this year’s competition are not just photographers; funds raised from entries to the photography awards will support BirdLife Australia’s work to protect threatened forest birds and their habitats.
Scroll down to see the best photos of 2022 in categories such as “Bird Portrait,” “Special Theme (Australian Robin),” “Bird Behavior,” “Landscape Birds,” “Birds in Flight,” and “Backyard Birds.”
More info: birdlifephotoaward.org.au | birdlife.org.au | Facebook
#1 Bird Portrait: “Hokey Pokey” By Danny Lee (Winner)

Shy Albatross, Port Sorell, Bass Strait, Tas
#2 Birds In The Landscape: “The Sentinel” By Maria Coleman (Winner)

Australian Pelican and Pacific Black Ducks, Riverian, NSW
#3 Birds In Flight: “White-Faced Storm Petrel” By John Harrison (Winner)

White-faced Storm Petrel, Near Eaglehawk Neck, Tas
#4 Birds In Flight: “Morning Dance” By Lawrence Chan (Shortlist)

Grey Fantail, Port Melbourne, Vic
#5 Birds In Flight: “My Pearl” By Lawrence Chan (Shortlist)

Red Wattlebird, Newport, Vic
#6 Backyard Birds: “Leaning In” By Rebecca Harrison (Winner)

Galah, Coogee, WA
#7 Youth: “Pair Of Bee-Eaters With Prey” By Finn Cupper (Shortlist)

Rainbow Bee-eater, West of Mildura, Vic
#8 Special Theme: Australasian Robins: “Pink Robin” By Ravi Arora (Shortlist)

Pink Robin, Otways, Vic
#9 Birds In Flight: “Wedge-Tailed Eagle” By Michelle Gardner (Shortlist)

Wedge-tailed Eagle, Hawker, SA
#10 Bird Behaviour: “Hanging For Breakfast” By Joel Evans (Shortlist)

Double-Barred Finch, Manly, Brisbane, Qld
#11 Backyard Birds: “Rainy Day Blues” By Jane Mcmenamin (Shortlist)

Australian Brush-turkey, Brisbane, Qld
#12 Human Impact: “Take Offence” By Simon Cherriman (Shortlist)

Southern Boobook, Perth Hills, Noongar Country, WA
#13 Backyard Birds: “Daylight Robbery” By Warren Wilson (Shortlist)

Satin Bowerbird, Woollamia, NSW
#14 Birds In Flight: “Nankeen Kestrel Golden Hour Flight” By Martin Anderson (Shortlist)

Nankeen Kestrel, Long Reef Headlands, NSW
#15 Bird Portrait: “Superb Soloist” By Ian Wilson (Shortlist)

Superb Lyrebird, Dandenong Ranges National Park, Vic
#16 Backyard Birds: “Good To Be Alive!” By Patrick Kavanagh (Shortlist)

Buff-rumped Thornbill, Strangways, Vic
#17 Birds In The Landscape: “Emu Mist” By Christian Spencer (Shortlist)

Emu, Coffin Bay, SA
#18 Bird Behaviour: “What’s Mine Is Yours” By Rebecca Harrison (Shortlist)

Fairy Tern, Woodman Point, WA
#19 Special Theme: Australasian Robins: “Female Flame” By Reeni Martinez (Shortlist)

Flame Robin, Bicentenial Trail to Red Rock Gorge, Canberra, ACT
#20 Special Theme: Australasian Robins: “Pale Yellow” By Danny Mccreadie (Shortlist)

Pale-yellow Robin, Crater Lakes, Qld
#21 Birds In Flight: “In The Limelight” By Cheng Kang (Shortlist)

Rainbow Bee-eater, Hume region, Vic
#22 Bird Behaviour: “Hanging Around” By Shelley Pearson (Shortlist)

Galah, Coodanup Foreshore, Mandurah, WA
#23 Bird Portrait: “Red-Necked Stint” By Shelley Pearson (Shortlist)

Red-necked Stint, Mandurah, WA
#24 Bird Behaviour: “Berries For Lunch” By Cheng Kang (Shortlist)

Silvereye, Bendigo, Vic
#25 Birds In The Landscape: “Morning Sauna” By Lawrence Chan (Shortlist)

Cormorant, near Bendigo, Vic
#26 Bird Behaviour: “Rehearsal” By Ian Wilson (Shortlist)

Superb Lyrebird, Dandenong Ranges National Park, Vic
#27 Bird Portrait: “Kookaburra” By Gd Smith (Shortlist)

Laughing Kookaburra, North Stradbroke Island, Qld
#28 Youth: “Salute To The Sun” By Finnian Bissell (Shortlist)

Olive-backed Sunbird, Edge Hill, Cairns, Qld
#29 Human Impact: “You Had Me At Hello” By Suzanne Bray (Shortlist)

Radjah Shelduck, Mackay, Qld
#30 Special Theme: Australasian Robins: “Yellow” By Glenn Faithfull (Winner)

Eastern Yellow Robin, Possum Creek, NSW
#31 Special Theme: Australasian Robins: “Female Flame” By Reeni Martinez (Shortlist)

Flame Robin, Bicentenial Trail to Red Rock Gorge, Canberra, ACT
#32 Bird Portrait: “Spinifex Pigeon” By Josh Watson (Shortlist)

Spinifex Pigeon, Alice Springs, NT
#33 Bird Behavior: “Feed Me Please” By Cheng Kang (Winner)

Eurasian Coot and Little Pied Cormorant, Melbourne, Vic
#34 Special Theme: Australasian Robins: (Shortlist)

#35 Bird Behaviour: “Stars And Stripes” By Jason Moore (Shortlist)

Crimson Rosella, Lamington National Park, Qld
#36 Human Impact: “Last Supper” By Devon Bull (Shortlist)

Wedge-tailed Eagle, Between Birdsville & Mt Isa, Qld
#37 Youth: “Morning Serenity” By Desmond Wang (Winner)

Australian Wood Duck, Glen Waverley, Vic
#38 Bird Behaviour: “Serenade From Under The ‘Veil'” By Ian Wilson (Shortlist)

Superb Lyrebird, Dandenong Ranges National Park, Vic
#39 Special Theme: Australasian Robins: “Alight” By Alex France (Shortlist)

Eastern Yellow Robin, One Mile, NSW
#40 Backyard Birds: “Double-Barred Finches In The Backyard” By Janet Poczwa (Shortlist)

Double-barred Finch, Laidley, Qld
#41 Bird Behaviour: “Tucking A Cupid’s Arrow” By Elmar Akhmetov (Shortlist)

Superb Lyrebird, Sherbrooke, Vic
#42 Youth: “At Rest” By Mckinley Moens (Shortlist)

Red-capped Plover, The Shoalhaven, NSW
#43 Backyard Birds: “Crested Pigeon On Farming Implement” By Stuart Cox (Shortlist)

Crested Pigeon, Boonah, Qld
#44 Backyard Birds: “Reflection” By Patricia Sweet (Shortlist)

Brown Goshawk (juv), Koolewong, Darkinjung Country, NSW
#45 Bird Portrait: “The Eyes Have” It By Michelle Gardner (Shortlist)

Black-necked Stork, Howard Springs, NT
#46 Bird Portrait: “Buller’s Albatross” By John Harrison (Shortlist)

Buller’s Albatross, Near Eaglehawk Neck, Tas
#47 Birds In The Landscape: “Cassowary Creek” By Patrick Tomkins (Shortlist)

Southern Cassowary, Kuranda, Qld
#48 Birds In Flight: “Tranquil Touchdown” By Nathan Watson (Shortlist)

Great Egret, Albany, WA
#49 Special Theme: Australasian Robins: “Flame Robin” By Deepak Kumar (Shortlist)

Flame Robin, Beech Forest, Vic
#50 Special Theme: Australasian Robins: “Flame Robin Landing” By Terry Walker (Shortlist)

Flame Robin, Copping, Tas
#51 Human Impact: “Over The Rainbow” By Nathan Watson (Winner)

Western Rosella, Albany, WA
#52 Human Impact: “The Tightening Braid” By Janette Rodgers (Shortlist)

Striated Heron, Gold Coast, Qld
#53 Bird Portrait: “Leaping Curlew” By Maria Coleman (Shortlist)

Far Eastern Curlew, Shoalhaven, NSW
#54 Youth: “Darkness” By Jacob Dedman (Shortlist)

Crested Pigeon, Swan Hill, Vic
#55 Birds In The Landscape: “Laugh, Kookaburra, Laugh” By Thomas Mcmahon (Shortlist)

Laughing Kookaburra, Leura, Blue Mountains, NSW
#56 Special Theme: Australasian Robins: “Re-Capped Robin” By Steve Barnes (Shortlist)

Red-capped Robin, Walyunga National Park, Perth Hills, WA
#57 Youth: “Superb Fairy Wren On A Canvas Of Brown” By Jacob Dedman (Shortlist)

Superb Fairy-wren, Shepparton, Vic
#58 Special Theme: Australasian Robins: “Jewel Beetles For Dinner” By Kevin Huang (Shortlist)

Flame Robin, Cape Bruny, Tas
#59 Bird Portrait: “Fearsome” By Jason Moore (Shortlist)

Great Crested Grebe, Perth, WA
#60 Birds In The Landscape: “What Are You Looking At?” By Bec Johnson (Shortlist)

White-browed Scrubwren, Grampians, Vic
#61 Birds In The Landscape: “Once Bittern” By Warren Chad (Shortlist)

Australasian Bittern, Griffith, NSW
#62 Human Impact: “Flightless” By Jake Wilton (Shortlist)

Emu, Perup Nature Reserve, WA
#63 Human Impact: “Industrial Tranquility” By Diana Andersen (Shortlist)

Great Egrets, Coodanup Foreshore, Mandurah, WA
#64 Birds In Flight: “Cormorant Takes Flight” By Emma Parker (Shortlist)

Great Pied Cormorant, Centennial Park, Sydney, NSW
#65 Backyard Birds: “On The Fence” By Christina Mcilroy (Shortlist)

Laughing Kookaburra, Cooloola Cove, Qld
#66 Youth: “Grebe, Baby!” By Mckinley Moens (Shortlist)

Great Crested Grebe, Lake Wallace, NSW
#67 Youth: “Contemplating…” By Jacob Dedman (Shortlist)

Australian Pelican, Shepparton, Vic
#68 Youth: “Choking On Food” By Desmond Wang (Shortlist)

Buff-banded Rail, Point Wilson, Vic
#69 Youth: “Backlight Soaring” By Pablo Ducarme (Shortlist)

Nankeen Kestrel, Wybung Head, Lake Munmorah Conservation Area, NSW
#70 Human Impact: “Water Rising” By Chris Whitton (Shortlist)

Australian Pied Oystercatcher, Geelong, Vic
#71 Human Impact: “Walking On Eggshells” By Sue Joy (Shortlist)

Superb Fairy-wren, Glendon Brook, NSW