Urban Bird Photography and The Urban Birder

Paul Sterry introduces the latest judge and competition ambassador David Lindo, aka the Urban Birder.

The Thames landscape in central London and David Lindo spreading the word. Photos: main image ©Rob Read/Nature Photographers Ltd; inset David Lindo ©Nina Rangøy.

The Bird Photographer of the Year team is passionate about conservation and the protection of natural environments and their birdlife. But there’s no getting away from the fact that most of us live in urban environments where people have modified the landscape to a greater or lesser degree. Given the extent of urbanised land throughout the world this makes it all the more important that we make space for wildlife in our towns and cities, as well as in the countryside.

There is no better advocate and ambassador for urban birdlife than David Lindo – aka the Urban Birder – and BPOTY is thrilled that he has agreed to join the team. For this competition cycle David will help judge our Conservation Documentary Award alongside fearless wildlife campaigner Mark Avery and legendary conservationist Mark Carwardine.

In the context of the UK the Waxwing is a winter visitor that is invariably associated with urban environments – an avian ambassador for the potential benefits to birds of towns and cities. ©Paul Sterry/Nature Photographers Ltd.

Looking to the future, David will help us develop the existing Garden and Urban Birds category in the BPOTY competition. And who knows where that will lead... With so much urban birdlife on our doorsteps and so many budding urban bird photographers out there, we sense a real opportunity to spread the conservation message in our towns and cities, and inspire people to care through world class imagery. Here are some examples classic urban bird photos from the BPOTY portfolio.

From the 2019 BPOTY Awards, this Eurasian Starling image is entitled ‘Supermarket Starling’. It was taken by Daniel Trim from the United Kingdom.

From the 2019 BPOTY Awards, and entitled ‘Urban Grey Heron, this image was taken in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, by Luke Wilkinson from the United Kingdom.

From the 2019 BPOTY Awards, this image of a Mistle Thrush is entitled ‘The Traffic Light Family’ and was taken by Daniel Trim from the United Kingdom.

A Grey-headed Gull on the Gambian coast, a species that has adapted to living alongside people and benefitting from the community’s fishing industry. © Paul Sterry/Nature Photographers Ltd.