Preserving rare birds for the entire world on Wikimedia Commons
The colorful bird depicted above is an Orange-bellied Parrot, photographed in the wild by Wikimedia Commons contributor JJ Harrison. This is one of only 21 known adult birds of its species left in the wild, making it critically endangered. âThe species is likely to be extinct soon,â said Harrison. However, since Harrison shares his work under Creative Commons licenses, his photographs have been able to make a huge impact outside of the Wikimedia projects, having been used extensively in conservation and education efforts.
Harrison, who lives in Tasmania, is one of the most prolific contributors to the Commons gallery of featured avian pictures. He was profiled in the 22 August 2011 issue of the Wikipedia Signpost by User:Tony1, as part of a series of interviews with featured content creators. In the interview, he discussed his long-standing passion for wildlife, even before he became a photographer. âI’ll always remember some of those early encounters,â he said. âLike seeing a wild Spotted-tail Quoll bound around the New Pelion Hut in the alpine central highlands of Tasmaniaâbut frustratingly, the right photographic equipment was days’ walk away. Or watching a Black-faced Cormorant fish a few metres underneath me as I was snorkellingâbut no underwater camera!â
He first started pursuing photography as a serious hobby midway through 2008 when he bought his first DSLR, a Canon