Birds aren’t easy to photograph – they are quick, flighty and prone to fickleness. But their resplendent colours and prismatic feathers have long enticed those behind the lens. Now, a collection of images that gathers the work of more than 50 photographers from around the world is putting birds centre stage.

is an odyssey of more than 200 pages through the world of these winged wonders. Most books on birds are organised by species, habitat or physical traits, but Aviary takes a different approach. The collection has six themed chapters celebrating the relationship between humans and birds through imagined theatrical “acts”, such as “sanctuary” and “encounter”. The result combines several different fields, including art, fashion, documentary-making and ornithology.

Some images are striking in their simplicity, while others are bewildering in how they capture movement and detail. Trailed by a streak of iridescent blue, a kingfisher is frozen in time as it plunges into tranquil water (pictured above), photographed by Mario Cea.

In an image by Alan Walker (shown above), two red-crowned cranes – among the largest and rarest birds in the world – throw their heads back in a courtship ritual as snow falls around them. In another, a vibrant flamingo, photographed by Robert Clark, rests its head on its feathers, which almost evoke the quality of an oil painting (main picture).

Aviary by Danáe Panchaud and William A. Ewing is available in the UK from 11 September and in the from 14 October.