Make a donation
The Museum is a charity and we rely on your support.
Make a donation today and support our 350 scientists who are working to build resilient habitats, protect vulnerable species and secure a sustainable future for our planet.
Jaime Culebras's Image
Jaime was looking for snakes when he stumbled across this nightjar, its mottled feathers mimicking the truck’s colours. The next night, he set up his camera and waited for the bird to return for its post-hunt snooze. ‘I was sure it wouldn’t come,’ he explains, ‘but finally, after hours, it arrived and I was able to capture that beautiful moment.’
The cryptic plumage of these birds makes it difficult to distinguish between species and consequently, new species of nightjars are still being discovered. Their colouring is a creative camouflage and allows them to blend into leaf litter (or the mud and treads of a car tyre) while sleeping and nesting.
Behind the lens
Jaime Culebras
Spain
Jaime has a bachelor’s in biology, an MSc in environmental education and an MSc in biodiversity and conservation of tropical areas. He’s been living in Ecuador for more than nine years, where he works as a reptile and amphibian researcher and nature photographer. Jaime has won numerous photography and conservation awards.
Image details
- Canon 6D
- 17–40mm f4 lens at 17mm
- 1/60 sec at f10 • ISO 640 • two Yongnuo Speedlite flashes • softbox • Manfrotto tripod
- Jardin de los Sueños reserve, Ecuador
Copyright in WPY competition photographs remains the property of the respective photographers. You may not copy, share, reproduce or republish the photographs except as expressly permitted by copyright law. For media image usage enquiries, please contact us.
More images from Jaime Culebras
View all
Support our important work
Help us harness the power of photography to advance scientific knowledge, spread awareness of important issues and nurture a global love for nature.