See the spectacular winning images from the Bird Photographer of the Year Awards 2020
Divers, dippers, and an extremely well-hidden owl
Famously difficult to photograph thanks to their annoying tendency to fly off at a moment’s notice, birds often present no more than a fleeting flutter of wings, or a distant speck in the sky. But when they take the time to stop and pose, the results can be as bizarre as they are breathtaking.
The Bird Photographer of the Year Awards, sponsored by Swarovski Optik, has returned for its fifth year running, fielding more than 15,000 entries from over 60 countries.
We’ve picked our favourite shots, from submerged sea birds to the very tip of a snow-capped pine…
End of the Day, Majed AlZa’abi (Kuwait) – Overall Bird Photographer Of The Year, Best Portrait Gold Award Winner
Cormorant Underwater View, Greg Lecoeur (France) – Best Portrait Silver Award Winner
A Dipper In The Mirror, Terje Kolaas (Norway) – Best Portrait Bronze Award Winner
Nutcrackers Fighting In The Snow, Roelof Molenaar (Netherlands) – Bird Behaviour Gold Award Winner
Feeding Frenzy, Greg Lecoeur (France) – Bird Behaviour Silver Award Winner
Ropewalker, Nicolas Reusens (Sweden) – Bird Behaviour Bronze Award Winner
On The Run, Georgina Steytler (Australia) – Best Portfolio Winner
On The Attack, Georgina Steytler (Australia) – Best Portfolio Winner
Pacific Gull Blur, Georgina Steytler (Australia) – Best Portfolio Winner
Swifts Over Iguazu Falls, Francesco Filippo Pellegrini (Italy) – Birds In The Environment Gold Award Winner
Hawk Owl In A Mountain Forest, Pål Hermansen (Norway) – Birds In The Environment Silver Award Winner
Perfect Camouflage, Moshe Cohen (Israel) – Attention To Detail Gold Award Winner
Hoopoe Flight At Low Speed, Gadi Shmila (Israel) – Birds In Flight Gold Winner
Single Room Available, Robert Sommer (Germany) – Black And White Gold Winner
Seeing Double, Adam Lake (UK) – Young Bird Photographer of the Year
Which is your favourite photo?
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