25 Striking Portraits Of Rare And Endangered Birds
Tim Flach has a gift for making birds look larger than life. In this portrait series, the photographer turns rare and endangered species into striking subjects, using the same careful eye he brings to his animal work in general.
The collection includes birds like the Blue Tit, the Gouldian Finch, the Northern Red Cardinal, and many more unusual species. Along the way, Flach’s process shows just how much effort can go into photographing animals that are beautiful, elusive, and sometimes difficult to access.
These portraits are elegant, a little mysterious, and easy to keep scrolling through.
1. The Himalayan Monal
"The Himalayan Monal is the national bird of Nepal."
2. Blue Tit
"Blue Tits are a common sight at bird tables in the U.K. Researchers found that the British put double the food in bird feeders compared to our European neighbors, which they believe is contributing to some bird species developing longer beaks."
Working with so many animal models requires not just creativity but managerial skills as well. The photographer spends a lot of time on his photoshoots.
3. Inca Tern
"This, for me, is the Salvador Dali of the bird world. When it comes to the length of the Peruvian Inca Tern’s moustache, longer is healthier. A longer moustache indicates a stronger immune system and, therefore, a more attractive proposition for courtship."
4. The Gouldian Finch
"The Gouldian Finch from Australia is, for me, one of the most colorful of all finches. I was fortunate to have a model on the day that permitted me to come so close, sometimes too close, as it decided to land on my head a number of times rather than to stay on its perch."
The next thing is having someone around who is familiar with these animals' behavior. On this particular project, Flach has help from a man who acts as a producer and is an expert on birds, even keeping birds at home.
Then Flach has to develop a different approach for each case. Some birds can't be put into an aviary in the studio, and sometimes he needs to get special permissions from the zoo, and so on.
5. Silver Laced Polish Chicken
6. Northern Red Cardinal
"Northern Red Cardinals are adept songsters, with individuals being able to produce more than a dozen song variations. This particular cardinal had a fair bit of attitude, as though he could have flown straight out of Angry Birds."
7. Major Mitchell
"The beautiful crest on the heads of cockatoos is one of the things that sets them apart from other parrots. However, they share the longevity of many members of the parrot family and have a very similar lifespan to humans."
8. The Philippine Eagle
"I spent days traveling through the mountains on the Philippine islands looking for this eagle, and in the end, I photographed it at a rescue sanctuary. The Philippine Eagle has one of the largest wingspans of any eagle, at 2 meters, and is only found on the Philippine islands, where it is the national bird. IUCN: Critically Endangered"
9. Jacobin Pigeon
"The Jacobins are one of the oldest domestic pigeon breeds in the world, originating from India. Their arrival in Europe during the 16th century sparked their evolution into the fashionable exhibition birds we see today."
10. Longtail Broadbill
"This long-tailed broadbill can be found from the Himalayas to Southeast Asia. He reminds me of a fighter pilot - but a lot of you seem to think he looks like Elvis - with his helmet-like black cap and sleek blue patch on his crown."
11. Black Jacobin Pigeon
"The Jacobin received its European name because its hood of feathers resembles the garments worn by the Jacobin order of monks. For others, it resembles a lady in feathery clothing."
12. Victoria Crowned Pigeon
"The Victoria Crowned Pigeon is considered the largest of the living pigeon species and can be found on mainland New Guinea. The only larger member of the pigeon family would have been the Dodo."
So naturally, each of Tim's photoshoots is different.
Flach mostly photographs untrained animals.
This is similar to the award-winning photographer’s stunning gallery of birds as living fine art.
13. The Toco Toucan
"The Toco Toucan’s bill is the largest relative to body size of any bird, and it can be used to regulate heat distribution, similar to elephants' ears. While sleeping, heat loss can be reduced by placing their bill under their wing."
14. Egyptian Vulture
The process is quite different and easier in the studio. Flach has a special birdcage that makes him virtually invisible to the birds. It even has a turntable.
There is a feeling of amazement in the uncertainty of photographing animals because you never really know what will happen in front of the lens. And that's why the portraits he creates are unique; he isn't pushing anything.
Flach allows his subjects to communicate and gives the audience space to imagine everything else.
15. Red Splash Jacobin Pigeon
"The Jacobin’s probably the most regal pigeon, having been kept by the likes of Charles Darwin and Queen Victoria. It gets its name because of the hood of feathers enveloping its head."
16. Andean Cock Of The Rock
"During breeding, male Cock-of-the-Rock take part in “confrontation displays,” which are rather like dance battles with other males that get more and more frenzied as the female approaches."
17. The Grey Crowned Crane
"The Grey Crowned Crane, from Southern and Eastern Africa, has a reputation for being rather short-tempered and can potentially take one's eye out with a single peck. When he started pecking at my camera and seemed intent on starting on me, I didn’t hang around!"
18. Shoebill
19. The King Vulture
"The Mayans once believed that the King Vulture was the messenger between gods and people. Contrary to the common association between vultures and deserts, the King Vulture inhabits the dense forests found in South America up to Mexico!"
20. Vultrurine Guineafowl Hen
"Vultrurine Guineafowl hens can lay up to 40 eggs per season - this might be one of the reasons that this bird is not a threatened species! They are found in the bushy half-deserts of Eastern Africa and spend most of their time running rather than flying."
21. Crested Miniature Duck
"This domestic duck is a Crested Miniature. Comb-like structures around the edge of their beak allow them to strain through the mud for food such as insects."
22. The Nicobar Pigeon
"The Nicobar Pigeon is the closest living relative to the Dodo. They are a threatened species, hunted for food, and their gizzard stones are extracted for jewelry. They are a nomadic species, moving from places like the Nicobar Islands in India to other coastal regions in Southeast Asia."
23. Bearded Tit
"Bearded Tits are the only British songbird that stays and breeds in reed beds all year round. There are less than 600 breeding pairs of Bearded Tits found in Britain, most likely because they are limited by habitat, building their nests low down in the reeds. A group of Bearded Tits is called a ‘banditry.’"
24. This Silver-Laced Rooster
"This Silver-Laced Rooster has come to symbolize, in Polish literature and art, a country gentleman from medieval Poland. I took this photograph at the Federation Championship Poultry Show last week."
25. Hooded Vulture
Want more rare-bird magic like the ones in Vinícius Kohn’s forest photos? Check out his Brazil bird photography.
Share this article:
