CHARUKA ABHAYAWICKRAMA · AUSTRALIA, 2022
774 BIRDS.
ONE WILD YEAR.
Australia through my lens.
Across Australia and its island territories,
I followed the birds — and found a different way of seeing.
One personal challenge.
An extraordinary Australian adventure.
THE ACCIDENTAL BIG YEAR
I set out to photograph birds.
They changed my life.
At the start of 2022, my goal was simple: photograph 600 Australian bird species in a year. I reached it in less than six months. By then, the journey had become something far bigger than a number.
From remote sandstone country to the Southern Ocean, every encounter brought a new story — of patience, generosity, discovery and the wild places we stand to lose.
The story behind the photographs ↗
“Undoubtedly, this was the best year of my life.”
CHARUKA ABHAYAWICKRAMA · REFLECTING ON 2022
BEYOND THE PHOTOGRAPH
A beautiful image.
A reason to care.
Looking for birds brought me face to face with the pressures on their habitats — and the people working to protect them. The photographs are a celebration of what we have, and a reminder of what deserves our care.
Meet the conservation projects ↗