Hen Photographer of the Yr 2023 Highlights Avian Attitudes and Winged Wonders Across the World

A Glistening-green Tanager framed in a big leaf.

Nicolas Reusens, “Glistening Inexperienced,” Glistening-green Tanager (Chlorochrysa phoenicotis), Mashpi Amagusa Reserve, Ecuador. Gold Award Winner: Finest Portrait. All pictures © the photographers and Hen Photographer of the Yr 2023

The judges of the 2023 Bird Photographer of the Year competitors (previously) sifted by way of greater than 20,000 pictures submitted from photographers across the globe. With lenses skilled on quite a lot of avians and their habitats, the makers of this 12 months’s successful pictures spotlight numerous habits, sizes, colours, and environments, from enigmatic and elusive species to acquainted yard mates.

Jack Zhi’s grand prize-winning picture catches the dramatic second {that a} Peregrine Falcon assaults a Brown Pelican in mid-flight. “I like the eyes of the pelican on this picture: shocked and scared,” Zhi says. “The motion was quick and over within the blink of a watch.” Different class winners embrace putting portraits and uncommon observations, like Nicolas Reusens’ Glistening-green Tanager framed in a tropical leaf, Rafael Armada’s seize of a tiny Sword-billed Hummingbird, or Henley Spiers’ underwater sighting of a Blue-footed Booby with a freshly-caught meal.

The 2024 contest is now open for entries on the group’s website, the place you can too browse a gallery of this 12 months’s successful images. Observe BPOTY on Instagram for extra updates.

Qiuqing Mu, “A Mom’s Love,” Nice Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa), Zhejiang, China. Bronze Award Winner: Hen Conduct

Rafael Armada, “Flying Sword,” Sword-billed Hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera), Bogotá, Colombia. Gold Award Winner: Birds in Flight

A black-and-white image of dead trees in water with a large bird at the base of the one of the trees.

Cheng Kang, “Morning Serenity,” Australasian Darter (Anhinga novaehollandiae), Northern Nation, Victoria, Australia. Bronze Award Winner: Black-and-white

A Brambling perched on the stem of a dead sunflower in winter.

Mateusz Piesiak, “Sunflower Paradise,” Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla), Decrease Silesia, Poland. Gold Award Winner: Birds within the Atmosphere

A vertical view downward of six flying flamingos over a green expanse.

Paul Mckenzie, “Inexperienced Planet Flamingos,” Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor), Lake Bogoria, Kenya. Silver Award Winner: Birds in Flight

Antonio Aguti, “No Manner Out,” Purple Heron (Ardea purpurea), Lake Chiusi, Italy. Gold Award Winner: Comedy Hen Picture

A Great Grey Owl perched on a headstone.

Arto Leppänen, “A Second of Prayer,” Nice Gray Owl (Strix nebulosa), Helsinki, Finland. Gold Award Winner: City Birds

A Peregrine Falcon attacking the head of a Brown Pelican in flight.

Jack Zhi, “Seize the Bull by the Horns.” Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) and Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), Southern California, United States. Gold Award Winner: Hen Conduct

A Blue-footed Booby underwater with a fish in its bill.

Henley Spiers, “Blue-Footed Fishing Dive,” Blue-footed Booby (Sula nebouxii), Los Islotes, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Silver Award Winner: Hen Conduct

#birds
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