Photographer Captures the Beauty of Rescued Birds

Sydney-based photographer Leila Jeffreys has been capturing beautifully affecting portraits of birds since 2008. She works with animal rescue and conservation groups to gain access to the photogenic animals and photographs a diverse number of birds in Australia, the United States, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom. You can see 100 of her wonderful photos in her new book, Bird Love.

Jeffreys has lived her life surrounded by animals. She was born in Papua New Guinea, but has lived in many interesting places, including a house boat in Kashmir and a small village in India surrounded by monkeys, mongoose, and buffaloes. In Papua New Guinea, she took care of an orphaned possum named Albert; in India, her classroom had a giant pet spider; in Australia, her father taught her how to rescue birds and nurse them back to health.

Perhaps it's these experiences that help her connect with her avian subjects. Each photo manages to capture the birds' personalities, making them seem almost human. For more pictures, you can follow Jeffreys on Instagram or pick up Bird Love.