The winner of the 2023 Bird Photographer of the Year award has been announced. Photographers from around the world submitted over 20,000 photos to the competition, each vying for the grand prize of £5,000. But who is the winner?
A photo of a peregrine falcon with a brown pelican that had ventured too close to its nest won a major prize in the world's largest bird photography competition.
American photographer Jackzhi has been announced as this year's grand prize winner for his dramatic photographs taken in Southern California. He also won the Best Bird Behavior Photo Award.
“For four years, I’ve been trying to capture the rare sight of a female falcon attacking a large brown pelican with incredible speed and agility,” Zhi said. “I love the pelican’s eyes in this photo—surprise and fear. It was so fast, over in the blink of an eye. But I’ll remember that moment forever.”
“Each photograph not only testifies to the immense talent of our photographers, but also profoundly reminds people of the breathtaking beauty of birds,” said Will Nichols, Director of Bird Photographer of the Year. “The stunning quality of these images underscores an important message: let us defend conservation so that future generations can marvel at the real-life inspiration behind these extraordinary images.”
The 2023 Young Bird Photographer of the Year award was given to 17-year-old German photographer Anton Trexler for his incredible atmospheric photograph of a blackbird against the backdrop of the moon.
Photographers competed in eight different categories in the adult competition: Best Portrait, Birds in the Environment, Bird Behavior, Birds in Flight, Black and White, Urban Birds, Conservation (Single Image), and Comedy Birds. There were also Conservation Awards, Portfolio Awards, and Video Awards.
Category winners
1. Urban Birds Winner
Great grey owl Strix nebulosa. Helsinki, Finland.
Arto Lepanen, Finland.
"During their winter migration, owls from northern Finland often head south because there is less snow and they can find more food. This grey owl chose a graveyard rich in voles as its hunting ground. While hunting, the owl often perches on tombstones or other structures to observe the area."
"Maintaining a safe distance, I followed the owl and successfully captured the moment it briefly landed on a beautiful angel statue."
The Canon EOS 5D Mark III comes with a Canon 600mm f/4 lens. 600mm; 1/50 sec; f/5; ISO 1,600.
2. Comedy Bird Champion
Purple egret (Ardea purpurea). Lake Chusi, Italy.
Antonio Agutti, Italy.
The purple heron is a migratory bird that inhabits lake basins on the Italian peninsula. It primarily feeds on fish, but also preys on mice, snakes, toads, and other creatures. In this photo, a heron has caught a large carp (Carassius carassius) and, after several attempts to flip it over, greedily swallowed it.
The Sony A1 comes equipped with a Sony 600mm f/4 GM lens. 600mm; 1/4,000 sec; f/4; ISO 320.
3. Black and White Winner
Musk duck (Biziura lobata). Perth, Australia.
Jason Moore, Australia
"A little musk duck seemed mesmerized by a drop of water dripping from its mother's beak. Of course, it was actually interested in the food on her bill. Their skin color may be monochromatic, but their beautiful expressions and charming demeanor more than make up for it."
The Sony A1 comes with a Sony 600mm f/4 G lens. 600mm; 1/1,250 sec; f/4; ISO 1,600.
4. Birds in the Environment (Winner)
Blackberry tunicate (Montifringilla). Lower Silesia, Poland.
Mateusz Pieciak, Poland.
"The floods prevented the sunflower fields from being harvested, and thousands of birds, including green-winged finches (Chloris loris), goldfinches (Caruelis carduelis), and bramblings, gather here for the winter."
Although their brightly colored plumage makes them easy targets, their colors blend into their surroundings when foraging, making them difficult for predators to spot. I used a wide-angle lens covered in snow and dried sunflowers to photograph a group of brambalins from their perspective, with one perched in front of my camera.
The Fujifilm X-T2 comes with a Fujifilm 10–24mm f/4 lens. 10mm; 1/680 sec; f/11; ISO 1,600.
5. The bird in flight wins.
Sword-billed hummingbird (Ensifera ensifera). Bogotá, Colombia.
Rafael Amada, Spain.
The sword-billed hummingbird, commonly found in the Andean forests, boasts the longest beak in the world relative to its size. This bird's unique beak is well-suited for feeding on flowers with long corollas, making it an important pollinator, as bees and butterflies cannot reach the nectar and thus cannot pollinate these plants. This photograph captures the bird approaching its feeder, with natural background and lighting.
The sword-billed hummingbird has the longest beak in the world.
The Canon EOS R5 comes with a Canon 600mm f/4 III lens. 600mm; 1/1,000 sec; f/4; ISO 5,000.
6. Bird Portrait Award Winner
The shimmering green tuna finches (Chlorochrysa phoenicotis). Maspiamagusa Reserve, Ecuador.
Nicolás Luxens, Spain
Venturing into the tropical rainforest, I was thrilled to spot the rare shimmering green tuna. After waiting for several hours, I spotted the vibrant green bird perched on a perfectly shaped heart-shaped leaf. Its shimmering feathers reflected a dazzling array of colors. I captured every detail, grateful for this magical moment against the backdrop of the lush jungle.
Canon EOS R7 paired with Tamron 100–400mm f/4.5–6.3 lens. 213mm; 1/500 sec; f/7.1; ISO 400.
7. Winners aged 12-14
Arctic tern (Sterna paradiseaea) and common tern (Sterna hirundo). Nschelzvik, Sweden.
Harry Sedin, Sweden.
In a small cove in Nschelsvik, terns are everywhere in the summer. So, on a cloudy afternoon, I went out into the water with the intention of photographing terns in flight. Instead, I ended up photographing an Arctic tern, a common sight. The terns were perched together on the railing. Using their white bodies, the cloudy sky, and their bright reflections in the water, I captured a striking image of the two terns.
Nikon Coolpix P1000. 324mm; 1/100 sec; f/8; ISO 200
8. Winners aged 11 and under
Green Flycatcher (Eumyias thalassinus). Found in Perin, Sikkim, India.
Alko Saha, India.
Palin is one of the most beautiful mountain stations in India. During my visit to the area, I observed many birds. I photographed this brightly colored bird in a garden near my hotel. The extremely vibrant blue makes this bird so beautiful.
Canon EOS 80D with Canon 100–400mm f/4.5–5.6 II lens. 400mm; 1/400 sec; f/5.6; ISO 500.
