Tim Laman's Wild Birds
A National Geographic ornithologist-photographer shares birds-of-paradise, hummingbirds and orangutans in images that need no words at all.
What it is
This is the Instagram of Tim Laman, an American ornithologist and wildlife photojournalist who has shot feature after feature for National Geographic. Birds rule the feed: New Guinea's birds-of-paradise, hummingbirds, pelicans, whooper swans in dawn mist, plus the orangutans of Borneo. Captions are in English, but honestly you could follow along with the sound off and no words at all.
Why we picked it
Laman is a scientist first. He holds a PhD in biology from Harvard, and together with ornithologist Edwin Scholes he spent eight years of expeditions documenting every species of bird-of-paradise in the wild. In 2016 he took the top prize at Wildlife Photographer of the Year for an image of an orangutan climbing a tree to reach figs. That background shows: each frame feels like the payoff of long hours in a hide, not a lucky click.
The account is very much alive. In spring 2026 he posted an Anna's hummingbird feeding by moonlight, pelicans riding a winter storm off La Jolla, a King Bird-of-Paradise from West Papua and a hoatzin from Yasuni National Park, and ran an Earth Day fundraiser for orangutan conservation.
Where to start
- Scroll for the birds-of-paradise: fans, capes and courtship dances that look invented.
- Find the hummingbird shots, close enough to see every iridescent feather.
- Look for the orangutan images, his other long-running project.
- Read a few captions; he often explains where and how a shot came together.
- Compare his Fine Art Friday posts with the field reportage to see two takes on the same wild world.
Who it's for
Bird lovers and nature fans who want beauty without a wall of text. Photographers looking for lessons in patience and light. Kids who deserve to learn how strange and colorful animals can be. Anyone who wants a calmer corner in their feed.
Quick answers
Who is Tim Laman? An American ornithologist and wildlife photographer, a longtime National Geographic contributor and the 2016 Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
Do I need English to enjoy it? Not really. The photos carry it; the English captions add context.
How big is the account? Around one million followers when we checked.
