Strategy report · Updated Jul 12, 2026
What's working for @andreas.wildlife.photos on Instagram.
Andreas │ Birds, Wildlife, Nature
15.6K followers · 783 posts
“🐦 Birds | 🦊 Wildlife | 🌿 Nature lover 📍 Sharing moments from the wild 🌍 Connecting people with nature 📩 DM for collabs”
Engagement rate
5.16%
Per post, last 90 days
Posts per week
1.9
Niche avg 4.0
Average likes
767
40 avg comments
Post mix
Last 90 days · 783 posts indexed
01
Top-performing posts
The three posts pulling the most engagement in the last 90 days.
carousel 16.33% engagedTwo moments. Same bird. Completely different mood. The European Goldfinch is one of those species that never gets old, no matter how often you see it. From soft, minimal backgrounds to vibrant natural settings, its colors always find a way to stand out. Both real. Both beautiful. #europeangoldfinch #goldfinch #birdportrait #birdphotography #wildlife_perfection #bestbirdshots #bird_brilliance #feather_perfection #naturecaptures #wildlife_shots #birdlovers #planetbirds #your_best_birds #nuts_about_birds #bb_of_ig #birds_captures #birdsofeurope
carousel 15.46% engagedA small bird with colors that almost look unreal. ❤️💛 The European Goldfinch is easily one of the most beautiful finches in Europe. The bright red face, the striking yellow wing bar, and the delicate feather details make it an absolute joy to photograph. Moments like these are exactly why I love bird photography so much. Clean backgrounds, soft light, and a calm subject can turn even a tiny garden bird into something truly special. Swipe for two different perspectives of this stunning little finch. Which shot do you prefer? 📸 #goldfinch #europeangoldfinch #distelfink #birdportrait #birdphotography #bird_brilliance #nuts_about_birds #birdlovers #bestbirdshots #wildlifephotography #birdwatching #planetbirds #feather_perfection #birdextreme #wildlife_perfection #raw_birds #birding_world #exclusive_wildlife #nature_perfection #gardenbirds
image 15.23% engagedThis killer whale was spy hopping right in front of the great glacier-covered Mount Baker. It is one of the most visually attractive landmarks east of Vancouver Island. The picture was taken on a whale watching tour with @ocean_eco and @gary_j27 ! Hashtags: #killerwhale #orca #whale #MountBaker #explorebc #canon #pacificnorthwest #beautifulbritishcolumbia #ExploreVictoria #DiscoverVictoriaBC #ExploreBC #ExploreCanada #ExperienceTheWild #ExploreVI #Ocean #WhaleWatching #NatGeoWild #DestinationGreaterVictoria #BeautifulBC #HelloBC #Sustainability #Orca #natgeoyourshot #marinemammals #vancouverisland @tourismvictoriabc @hellobc @tourismvancouverisland @explorecanada @pacificwhalewatch
02
Content pillars
AI-clustered themes the account posts about, with example posts pulled live from Instagram.
03
Posting rhythm
Cadence and timing patterns over the last 12 weeks.
1.9 posts/week
Niche benchmark · 4.0/week
Best days
Sunday · Thursday · Monday
Best hours
7-9am · 6-8pm
04
Signature hooks
Caption patterns the account reuses across high-performing posts.
Look closer and [topic] tells a completely different story.
Used 5×
Most people never stop to admire a pheasant. But when you get close enough to see the details, the story changes completely.
Small bird, easy to overlook, but full of detail. The Common Linnet might not be the most striking species at first glance.
At first glance, just another small bird of the Namibian bush. But look closer, every feather on the head forms a precise, scale-like pattern.
Most people [missed X]. I was lucky enough to catch it.
Used 4×
Everyone was looking for puffins. Meanwhile, one puffin flew straight through the crowd... and almost nobody noticed.
Most of the time, it doesn't work out. Just waiting. Watching. Nothing happens. And then suddenly everything comes together.
At first, she was completely relaxed. Then suddenly, everything changed. Thanks to my telephoto lens, I was lucky enough to witness the reunion.
Before [behavior], they [surprising fact]. [Species] never gets old.
Used 4×
Before swallowing, they'll often remove the stinger or beat the insect against a perch.
Before swallowing insects, they often remove the sting by repeatedly hitting their prey against a perch. This dragonfly didn't stand a chance.
Before swallowing, the prey is often beaten against a branch to disable it. Even large insects, lizards, or small vertebrates don't stand a chance.
Which [photo / bird / moment] is your favourite? [Options] in the comments.
Used 6×
Which photo is your favourite? 1-4?
Swipe through all 10 and tell me: which one stole your heart? 1-10 in the comments.
Which one is your summer favorite?
[Species] colors look almost unreal. Here is why.
Used 3×
A small bird with colors that almost look unreal. The European Goldfinch is easily one of the most beautiful finches in Europe.
This tiny bird looks almost unreal. Once the light hits that incredible blue throat, it becomes almost impossible to look away.
European Goldfinch. Color, precision, and constant motion. Gone again in seconds.
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Strategy summary
What's working, what to fix, and what to ship next.
TL;DR
The European Goldfinch and Bee-eater carousels are the clearest growth engine on this account. Posts [18], [12], and [8] average over 1,600 likes, and post [3] shows that pairing a behavior fact with a strong close-up image drives both saves and comment questions. The account has a proven formula: clean carousel, one surprising biological detail, and a poll CTA. The problem is cadence. At 1.9 posts per week, the account is running at roughly half the recommended frequency for a wildlife photography niche, leaving consistent weekly reach on the table.
The biggest leak is inconsistency in CTA quality. High performers like post [1] (619 likes, 40 comments) ask a specific location question. Weaker posts like [20] (113 likes) drop into the feed without a hook or question. Reels are severely underused, with only one reel in the sample (post [0], 39 likes) despite the format consistently outperforming static images in reach on Instagram in 2025 and 2026.
The puffin content cluster is a seasonal asset that should be pre-planned and batched. Posts [1] and [5] both performed well above average, showing a ready audience for place-based storytelling.
Working
4- Goldfinch and Bluethroat carousels with clean backgrounds consistently clear 1,000 likes, see posts 18 and 12.
- Behavior-education captions explaining prey-handling or fishing trips lift comment depth and saves on posts 3, 6, and 27.
- Poll CTAs asking viewers to pick a favorite photo reliably push comments above 30 on posts 9, 23, and 1.
- Place-specific puffin storytelling draws above-average engagement and attracts location-tagged discovery traffic.
Risks
4- Posting cadence is 1.9 per week, roughly half the niche benchmark of 4, which caps weekly reach growth.
- Reels are almost absent from the feed despite being the primary reach driver on Instagram right now.
- Exotic wildlife posts like post 20 lack strong hooks and pull significantly below the account average at 113 likes.
- Hashtag strategy is inconsistent, some posts use 20 plus tags while others use only 5, making reach patterns hard to read.
Ship next
5- Batch-produce 4 to 6 short reels (15 to 30 seconds) around action moments like bee-eater catches and puffin landings to test reach uplift.
- Raise posting frequency to 3 to 4 times per week by scheduling pre-edited goldfinch and bee-eater carousels already in the archive.
- Add one specific question or location CTA to every caption, modeled on the Skomer post 1 format that hit 40 comments.
- Create a repeating weekly slot for a behavior-education carousel, one species, one surprising fact, clean close-up, poll CTA.
- Standardize hashtag count to 10 to 15 highly relevant tags per post and test a saved set split between niche bird tags and broader wildlife tags.
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