John Luff, Back from the Brink - The Return of the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly (ANIMAL & NATURE 2024)

Found only in Northern NSW and SE QLD (where these photos were taken), Richmond birdwing (Ornithoptera richmondia) are the largest and among the most beautiful of Australia's sub-tropical butterflies. Once facing extinction due mainly to loss of habitat, a concerted effort by wildlife and community conservation groups, governments and butterfly lovers in general has seen their numbers begin to recover. I was lucky enough to have this male and female visit for a week from 19 August 2024, attracted by the flowers of the pink rondeletia shrub in our front yard, where they allowed me to witness their mating rituals. Photos: 1) "I Am Birdwing!" [female]; 2) "Working Together" [male]; 3) "Working Together" [female]; 4) "Prelude to Mating" [male above female].[©John Luff / JL Images]

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.