Birds are some of the most majestic animals on the planet. While some can be total derps, according to any internet image search, for the most part, they are graceful creatures. Everything from the way they look to the way they rest on branches, stroll on the ground, and, of course, soar through the air screams majesty.
The annual Bird Photographer of the Year Contest aims to celebrate this. Recently, it has announced the winners of this year’s competition and showed off some of the most breathtaking photos of birds that this year’s contestants were able to snap.
Bored Panda compiled a list of this year’s Bird Photographer of the Year contest winners for you to enjoy below. While you’re scrolling through the list, don’t forget to vote and comment on the ones you enjoyed the most!
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Highly Commended: 'Rainbow Ballet' By Christian Spencer
Attention To Detail: First Place, By Moshe Cohen
Attention To Detail: Second Place, By Mathias Putze
Bird Photographer Of The Year is hosted by Birds On The Brink, a grant-awarding charity that supports bird conservation efforts around the world. This is their 5th year hosting the competition.
The contest was split into a number of categories, among which are Best Portfolio, Attention to Detail, Best Portrait, Bird Behavior, Birds in the Environment, Birds in Flight, Black and White, Creative Imagery, Garden and Urban Birds, and others.
Birds In Flight: Third Place, By Shu Qing
Black And White: First Place, By Robert Sommer
Black And White: Second Place, By Daniel Stenberg
The grand prize went to Majed Alza’abi from Norway for his “End of the Day” photograph of a European Shag:
“I took this shot in April 2019 while on a visit to the famous Norwegian seabird island of Vardø, a location packed full of birds that provide endless opportunities for photography. There are a lot of opportunities for creative composition, playing with foreground and background; here I like the out-of-focus shag framing the in-focus individual, plus the bokeh of the sea as sunset approached. By experimenting, I aimed to create artistic and impressionistic shots of shags, and I hope I achieved my goal with this image,” elaborated Majed.
Highly Commended: 'Underwater Check' By Greg Lecoeur
Creative Imagery: Third Place, By Chengbo Sun
Young Bird Photographer Of The Year: First Place, 'Seeing Double' By Adam Lake
Check out the remainder of the photos by scrolling the list below. And if this isn’t enough, why not check out last year’s list? And if you haven’t had your fill of birds, why not give this list of realistic-looking embroidery from a bird’s-eye perspective a go!
Birds In The Environment: Second Place, By Pål Hermansen
Highly Commended: 'Tranquil Morning' By Guang Hua Chen
Attention To Detail: Third Place, By Francis De Andrés
Birds In Flight: First Place, By Gadi Shmila
Highly Commended: 'Spot The Bird' By Swayamsiddha Mohapatra
Birds In Flight: Second Place, By Nikos Fokas
Highly Commended: 'Medusa!' By Richard Flack
Highly Commended: 'Reign Forest' By Adam Stunkel
Highly Commended: 'Buzz Kill' By Shuvam Nath
Best Portrait: Third Place, By Terje Kolaas
Bird Behaviour: First Place, By Roelof Molenaar
Garden And Urban Birds: Third Place, By Carlos Cifuentes
Highly Commended: 'Night Watch' By Gideon Knight
Highly Commended: 'Lady Phalarope' By Tim Hopwood
Highly Commended: 'Trails At Dusk' By Kathryn Cooper
Birds In The Environment: First Place, By Francesco Filippo Pellegrini
Iguazu Falls are one of the most amazing part of our planet. The valley is filled rainbow caused by the vapor of the falls. This is where the swifts of the falls found their perfect habitat. Thousands of those unique birds breed inside these powerful and amazing falls.