Avian Awe: See the Stunning Bird Photographer of the Year Winners – CNET [CNET]
1 of 17 Jack Zhi/Bird Photographer of the Year
Grab the bull by the horns
The top prize winner is a dramatic image of a female peregrine falcon attacking a brown pelican while in defense of her nest in Southern California. “The high-speed chase made it challenging to capture a close-up shot with a long lens. The falcon’s precision was amazing as it struck at the pelican’s head,” said photographer Jack Zhi.
This image received a gold award in the bird behavior category and earned Zhi the title of Bird Photographer of the Year 2023.
2 of 17 Nicolas Reusens/Bird Photographer of the Year
Glistening-green tanager
“Glistening-green tanager” is the actual name of this bright-green Ecuadorian bird. Photographer Nicolas Reusens snapped the tanager as it perched on a heart-shaped leaf. “I captured every detail, grateful for this magical moment amid the lush jungle backdrop,” said Reusens. The green bird earned Reusens a gold award in the best portrait category of the Bird Photogapher of the Year competition for 2023.
The images are glorious, but the competition is also about raising awareness of bird issues. The competition partners with UK charity Birds on the Brink, an organization that makes small grants for grassroots bird conservation projects.
3 of 17 Rafael Armada/Bird Photographer of the Year
Flying sword
What is that? It’s not the hummingbird’s tongue. It’s a bill. The aptly named sword-billed hummingbird has an extremely long bill that helps it reach its favorite food deep inside flowers. The bird was on its way to a feeder when photographer Rafael Armada snapped its portrait in flight. The 2023 Bird Photographer of the Year competition honored the image with a gold award in the birds in flight category.
4 of 17 Jason Moore/Bird Photographer of the Year
Fascinating droplet
The gold award winner for the black and white category in the 2023 Bird Photographer of the Year competition depicts a young musk duck with its mother. It was feeding time for the youngster in Australia.
5 of 17 Mateusz Piesiak/Bird Photographer of the Year
Sunflower paradise
This moment of calm and beauty comes from Polish photographer Mateusz Piesiak. It took top place in the birds in the environment category of the 2023 Bird Photographer of the Year competition. The bird is a brambling that was feasting in a sunflower field.
6 of 17 Qiuqing Mu/Bird Photographer of the Year
A mother’s love
The silver award winner in the bird behavior category of the 2023 Bird Photographer of the Year competition is this heartwarming image of an adult great gray owl feeding its young in a wheat field in China. The raised wings make for an elegant portrait of a family moment.
7 of 17 Arto Leppanen/Bird Photographer of the Year
A moment of prayer
The 2023 Bird Photographer of the Year competition has a place for those moments when nature interacts with the built environment. This image took top honors in the urban birds category. It shows a great gray owl, head bowed, perched atop a statue of a praying angel. According to photographer Arto Leppanen, the owl was hunting voles in a cemetery in Finland.
8 of 17 Anton Trexler/Bird Photographer of the Year
Blue hour and red moon
The Bird Photographer of the Year competition isn’t just for adults. There are three categories for young photographers. German photographer Anton Trexler came out on top in the 15-17 years category and also took home the title of Young Bird Photographer of the Year for 2023.
The winning image shows a blackbird sitting against a reddish moon.
9 of 17 Arko Saha/Bird Photographer of the Year
Verditer flycatcher
Young photographer Arko Saha of India won gold for the 11 and under category of the 2023 Bird Photographer of the Year competition. This gorgeous verditer flycatcher was in a garden near a hotel where Saha was staying.
10 of 17 Harry Sedin/Bird Photographer of the Year
High-key terns
Young Swedish photographer Harry Sedin received a gold award in the 12-14 years category of the Bird Photographer of the Year 2023 competition. There are two types of terns in this image, an Arctic and a common tern. They were sitting together on a railing. “By utilizing the white of their bodies, the overcast weather and the bright reflections in the water, I captured a high-key image of the two terns,” said Sedin.
11 of 17 Thomas Vijayan/Bird Photographer of the Year
Parenting goals
Canadian photographer Thomas Vijayan snapped a special family moment as two emperor penguins attended to their chick. It took a lot of patience to capture this view. Vijayan trekked eight hours a day across Antarctica to reach the colony and spent two days stretched out flat on the ice in order to not disturb the family. That effort resulted in a silver award in the best portrait category of the 2023 Bird Photographer of the Year competition.
12 of 17 Antonio Aguti/Bird Photographer of the Year
No way out
The Bird Photographer of the Year competition highlights the amusing side of nature with its comedy bird photo category. The 2023 winner is this snapshot of a purple heron attempting to down a large carp in a lake in Italy. Photographer Antonio Aguti said the heron finally got its meal after several attempts to turn the fish on its side.
13 of 17 Levi Fitze/Bird Photographer of the Year
More fish please
Swiss photographer Levi Fitze was struck by the similarity between bird and human behavior on display in this photo of a juvenile king penguin making a demand for snacks. “This juvenile constantly begged until the annoyed adult walked away,” said Fitze. “However, the fact that the juvenile was more massive than the adult suggests good parenting overall.”
This moment of penguin pushiness earned Fitze a silver award in the comedy category of the 2023 Bird Photographer of the Year competition.
14 of 17 Jake Levin/Bird Photographer of the Year
Coming storm
A Canada jay perches on a frosty branch in upstate New York. “This image shows a jay seemingly concerned that the snow is ramping up, and rightly so, as it made driving back home a challenge,” said photographer Jake Levin. The image took third place in the best portrait category of the 2023 Bird Photographer of the Year competition.
15 of 17 Luca Giordano/Bird Photographer of the Year
The spectacle of migration
There aren’t many humans featured among the 2023 Bird Photographer of the Year competition winners. The exception is in the conservation category. This third-place winner from Italian photographer Luca Giordano shows a dead peregrine falcon that had been shot by a poacher. A wildlife rescuer examines the bird. X-rays showed the lead shot. “Through this photo, I hope to raise awareness of this ongoing issue affecting wild birds in Italy,” said Giordano.
16 of 17 Henley Spiers/Bird Photographer of the Year
Blue-footed fishing dive
A blue-footed booby rises upward through water in this stunning action shot from UK photographer Henley Spiers. The booby had captured a sardine for a snack. This image received a silver award in the bird behavior category of the 2023 Bird Photographer of the Year competition.
17 of 17 Stefan Gerrits/Bird Photographer of the Year
Staring at the river
This artful, almost abstract image shows a white-throated dipper on a cold day in Finland. “I focused on longer-exposure shots, using a 70–200mm lens to capture silky-smooth water in each photo,” said photographer Stefan Gerrits.