THE PLIGHT & RESCUE OF BEAUTIFUL FLIGHT NOW

LEILA JEFFREYS

Any act of rescue is a beautiful thing. But photographer Leila Jeffreys has raised it to an even higher level.

Since 2008, the Sydney-based photographer has taken hundreds of portraits of rescued and endangered birds, highlighting their extraordinary beauty, in an effort to raise awareness in humans about their plight and their value.

Born in Papua New Guinea to artist & environmentalist parents, Jeffreys grew up caring about the many creatures that lived all around her. When she was a child, in Australia, her father taught her how to rescue injured birds and nurse them back to health.

Jeffreys noted that most people don’t relate to or interact much with birds. She believed that by showing people how incredibly beautiful and diverse they are, she could change that and inspire greater concern.

Pet budgies were the subjects of the first portrait series Jeffreys produced. She managed to elevate the commonplace perception of these birds to highlight beauty otherwise missed.

Next, Jeffreys created a series of portraits of wild cockatoos. She spent 2 years, working with several wildlife rescue and conservation groups across Australia to document almost every Australian cockatoo species.

The palm cockatoos, with their Mohawk-like crest and their gentle, sweet, curious nature, are Jeffreys’ favorites. For her next project, a portrait series entitled “Prey,” Jeffreys focused on Australia’s hunting birds.

Jeffreys continued her mission, working with animal rescue and conservation groups to gain access to a diverse range of birds in Australia, the United States, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom. Each photo captures each bird’s personality, often with human-like qualities.

To create portraits of the smaller birds, Jeffreys built a tiny “studio” made of clear acrylic walls, with a plain paper backdrop and a black cloth with a hole in it to accommodate her camera lens.

Inside, she placed a perch for the birds to sit upon, along with water and seed.

Jeffreys talked to the birds as she took her shots. And the birds watched her lens turning with great curiosity. As she chatted and clicked, the birds’ crest feathers would often go up, they would tilt their heads, interacting with and listening to her.

Jeffreys worked with larger birds, such as birds of prey, in a purpose-built room, allowing them to fly around as she shot. Wildlife rescuers were on hand to assist.

Patience is key. And Jeffreys has plenty. She waits until the birds relax so that her shots can better capture a sense of their personality. Each species has its own personality traits.

Check out her recent book, Bird Love, which includes 100 incredible bird portraits and profiles. The Australian version of the book is called Birdland. 

“Fossil and genetic evidence tell us that birds and humans have not shared a common ancestor for more than 300 million years. In ‘Birdland,’ Leila Jeffreys’ intimate bird portraits close that gap by showing us that birds have minds not entirely unlike ours. We need artists who can remind us that nature is powerful and important and that it deserves our attention and affection.”

--Tim Low, author of “Where Song Began”

For more pictures, you can follow Jeffreys on Instagram or pick up Bird Love.

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And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact Daily Fix posts.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Leila Jeffreys. “Neville, Major Mitchell’s Cockatoo (Lophochroa leadbeateri).”
2. Image: by Leila Jeffreys. “Oscar.” Eclectus Parrot.
3. Image: by Leila Jeffreys. “Flight Sergeant Chalky No. 1, Budgerigar (Melopsittacus undulatus)
4. Image: by Leila Jeffreys. “Tani.” Australian Masked Owl (Tyto novaehollandiae).
5. Image: by Leila Jeffreys. ”Spencer.” Budgerigar.
6. Image: by Leila Jeffreys. “Pete.” Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo.
7. Image: by Leila Jeffreys. “Seisa.” Palm cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus).
8. Image: by Leila Jeffreys. ”Queenie.” Galah.
9. Image: by Leila Jeffreys. “Pepe.” Splendid Fairy-wren.
10. Image: by Leila Jeffreys. “Long Billed Corella.”
11. Image: by Leila Jeffreys. ”Nora.” Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo.
12. Image: Courtesy of Harry N. Abrams. “Bird Love,” by Leila Jeffreys.
13. Image: by Leila Jeffreys. “Commander Skyring.” Gang-Gang Cockatoo.
14. Image: by Leila Jeffreys. “Jeda.” Greater Sooty Owl.
15. Image: by Leila Jeffreys. “Jimmy.” Budgerigar.
16. Image: by BN App - Download now!
17. Image: by Leila Jeffreys. “Jarra.” Cockatiel.