Gallery: Coveting the Cormorant

From the Autumn 2025 issue of Living Bird magazine. Subscribe now.

Through the lens and then artwork of NYC-based photographer Robert David Atkinson, the familiar Double-crested Cormorant becomes a study in exquisite avian detail. To achieve the unique look of his art, Atkinson starts with close-up photos of wild birds (usually in black and white). He often shoots in Central Park, capturing detailed portraits thanks to a combination of a high-quality telephoto lens and subjects that are acclimated to humans. “Some of those birds in Central Park have no fear,” he says. He then composites different textures into the background—a piece of tree bark, grains of sand on paper—to create an ethereal, not-quite-real effect. “People often think they’re taxidermy at first,” he says of his art. See more of his work and order his debut book, A Silent Witness to Beauty, on his website.