The Bird Photographer of the Year is a bird photography competition held annually since 2016 where photographers from all over the world compete for the grand prize and the title of Bird Photographer of the Year. And now, after a whole year of waiting, the winners of this year's competition have finally been announced.
The winner of this year's Bird Photographer of the Year title and a £5,000 prize is British photographer Caron Steele and her majestic photograph of a Dalmatian Pelican on a frozen Lake Kerkini in Greece. Check out Caron's photograph and other category winners in the gallery below!
#1 Yashodhan Bhatia - Best Portrait - Honorable Mention
‘Those small dark profiles, flying with super-fast manoeuvres in the sky, are swifts or swallows. Identifying them is a challenge unless you have a good look at them. Of course they do differ, only slightly in size or in details of plumage. All of them are adapted for high speed flight, thanks to slender, streamlined bodies, short necks, long pointed wings and small beaks. These all adaptations are for hunting insects in mid-air at breakneck speeds. I found a small colony of Little Swifts under a bridge on a state highway and thought of spending time with them to get some unusual perspectives. It took me four sessions in two days and numerous pictures to get the desired result. I was amazed at how these tiny birds have truly mastered flight. While gliding, they continually change the shape of their wings, albeit very subtly, and optimize their aerodynamic performance to control lift, thrust, drag and what not.’
75points
#2 Caron Steele - Bird Photographer Of The Year
‘On arriving in Greece to photograph the Dalmatian Pelicans in their breeding plumage I discovered that Lake Kerkini, their favoured haunt, had frozen for the first time in 16 years; all the pelicans had flown off. Fortunately, a few holes started to thaw in the lake and the birds slowly began to return. Unused to the slippery icy surface of the lake they regaled us with hilarious antics as they slid across the lake surface trying to retain control as they took off and landed. I was lucky enough to capture one such rare moment when this magnificent pelican ran towards me across the ice at dusk before taking off. It was a truly unique experience, both magical and comical at the same time. And the image remains a moment of pure joy captured forever.’
74points
In an interview with Bored Panda, Rob Read, the founding director and the coordinator of the competition said there were over 13,500 entries in this year's competition.
Of course, getting your picture picked as one of the winners is no easy task. "The images are chosen via a large panel of judges and are subject to two online scoring rounds followed by a round table meeting to discuss the finalists and to choose the winners," said Rob when asked how the winning photos are chosen.
#3 Csaba Tokolyi - Attention To Detail - Silver
‘It had been a long night, lodged in a hide set up for nocturnal species. After those long dark hours packed with action photography the breaking dawn presented a real treat. A Little Egret in wonderful breeding plumage stopped by and was standing at close range in the golden light of dawn reflected on the water’s surface. The elongated scapular feathers covered the bird like a gown in the lovely morning light. Instead of using wide-angle, I looked for a composition with my telephoto lens to try to record a different kind of image.’
64points
#4 Chad Larsen - Garden And Urban Birds - Gold
‘My wife and I had been photographing Snowy Owls for a couple days during the Christmas Holidays in Saskatchewan. On this morning, I returned to the same area and could not believe what I was seeing... an all-white Snowy Owl on a quaint white church! Trying to focus on a white owl set against a very light backdrop proved to be very difficult. However, my biggest challenge was getting into a central position without disturbing this peaceful moment: I knew an opportunity like this might never happen again.’
63points
Caron Steele, the winner of this year's competition, said she was delighted to be awarded the title."It is wonderful to receive such recognition for something I absolutely love doing," said the photographer in a press release.
Carol says she only took up photography seriously back in 2014 when she had gotten her first camera. Since then, she has been on a sharp learning curve. "I did a zoology degree at the University of Oxford, but then went on to pursue other things. Now I love being able to get back to nature and see things through the perspective of my camera," said the photographer. "I am so passionate about conservation and am keen to find an angle where I can help make a significant difference; winning this award has spurred me on to renew my efforts."
#5 Cat Edwardes - Creative Imagery - Honorable Mention
‘I wanted to take a slightly different image of a hummingbird to capture the light through its delicate wings. I found a particularly good flower that would work in silhouette. In the end I had to take hundreds of images until I got the perfect wing position and a slight separation between the bird and the flower. This is all captured in-camera.’
62points
#6 Ben Andrew - Best Portrait - Silver
‘This image of a bold young Kingfisher was taken during the winter months. The bird spent time in the middle of a town centre, fishing around ornamental water gardens that are surrounded by shops, roads and a car park. The Kingfisher regularly spent time perched on railings waiting to plunge into the water below. This spot was right next to the bus stop, so I positioned myself looking along the railings and waited for a bus to arrive. Luckily the buses in the town are blue in colour perfectly matching the Kingfisher’s plumage. So it was just a matter of waiting and hoping a bus came along with its lights on while the bird was sitting there!’
58points
"In today’s hectic life I think it is vital we strive to save the beautiful natural world around us, as ultimately I believe it will save us. Photography and being at one with nature brings a sense of calm, joy and appreciation that can strip away the stresses of life," added Carol. "I recommend this therapy to everyone. Save your planet and save your soul: pick up a camera and get out there today and be as free as a bird!”
#7 Madeline Nolan - Young Bird Photographer Of The Year - Silver
‘My family and I travelled to Creede, Colorado. My mom had just got a new camera and a big lens. Every morning, I would wake up, borrow the equipment and take pictures of the hummingbirds in the national forest. Some days, I would shoot for hours. I was able to capture this adorable female Rufous Hummingbird sticking her tongue out! I had never seen that before. It was not easy to capture and I am thrilled I was able to get such a neat shot.’
51points
#8 Nikunj Patel - Birds In Flight - Gold
‘Black Skimmers are one of my favourite birds and I love spending time in the summer observing and photographing them. Skimmers have a light and elegant flight, with steady wingbeats. They fly low over water and dip their lower mandible just below the surface, feeling for tiny fish and snapping them up with deadly speed, and making high-speed turns in mid-flight. On a nice summer evening, I arrived at a colony of nesting seabirds on a beach to photograph Black Skimmers flying in, bringing fish for the new-born chicks. I decided to set up low on the beach as it would give me an eye-level perspective with the birds. A few skimmers had gathered at the edge of the shoreline and were having a vigorous bathing session. As some of them took off, I saw one flying low and straight towards me. Luckily, I was able to acquire focus, press the shutter and capture a beautiful image of the bird flying straight at me. Black Skimmers rely on open beaches for nesting and raising their young, with direct access to the water for feeding. Coastal development and our own love of the same beaches have left them with few safe places to nest. The image was captured in the summer of 2018 at Ocean City, New Jersey, USA. The Black Skimmer is an endangered species in the state of New Jersey.’
50points
"‘Dancing on Ice’ is an image that had me leaping from my chair with joy the moment I saw it appear on my computer screen," commented Rob on the winning photograph. "All too frequently the judges see images where the photographers have fabulous photographic opportunities that they fail to make the most of. Lake Kerkini rarely freezes over and Caron certainly made the most of this virtually unique opportunity. Everything about this image is right, it is truly delightful in its near- perfection.”
#9 Jozsef Gergely - Bird Behaviour - Silver
‘Recently I visited a fish-farm near Kanjiza in the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina. As you can imagine, the abundance of corralled fish acts like a magnet for fish-eating birds such as the Grey Heron. This particular individual caught my eye: despite its size and bulk it was doing an extremely good job balancing on one of the fishing nets. I love the ‘high key’ effect achieved by shooting into the light.’
46points
#10 Shane Kalyn - Birds In Flight - Honorable Mention
‘I was photographing a couple of Rufous Hummingbirds who were engaged in a mid-air battle with each other to claim a territory. As I watched, this particular male would always come and hover in the same spot, so I aimed the camera and waited. On this particular occasion he gave me (and the other male hummingbird in the area) a full display of his feathers.’
38points
#11 Pal Hermansen - Attention To Detail - Gold
‘This mature Goshawk was photographed while it visited a feeding place in the forest. Instead of taking standard images, showing the whole bird, I decided to put on a very long lens and try to pick out details in the feathers. When the feet appeared, I saw the image I had been dreaming of.’
37points
#12 Liron Gertsman - Birds In Flight - Bronze
‘Scattered throughout the Amazon basin are hundreds of clay licks where parrots, parakeets and macaws come to eat clay and neutralize the acidic fruits that they eat. Getting to the clay lick (and watering hole) where I took this photo required a regional flight, a three-hour boat ride upstream, and a short canoe ride to get to base camp. From base camp, it took another short boat ride and a 30 minute hike (a longer hike than usual due to low water levels in July 2017) each day to get to the clay lick. It took many hours of waiting over three days before we were treated to the sight of hundreds of Cobalt-winged Parakeets raining down on the forest floor. Seeing them and hearing the deafening roar of parakeet chatter was an experience I don’t think I’ll ever forget. After they drank the mineral rich-water and ate some clay, it was over; this photo captures the chaos as the parakeets took to the air, heading back to the canopy. I used a slow shutter speed to convey movement as the birds took to the air.
35points
#13 Audun Lie Dahl - Creative Imagery - Bronze
‘Hornøya is a tiny island and boasts the northernmost bird cliffs in Norway; and each year thousands of Common Guillemots come here to breed. I have visited this place numerous times, and finally I had the backlighting conditions I had been dreaming about. I used the lens aperture in such a way as to create pleasing ‘bokeh’ of the birds, as well as impressions of light caused by the sun reflecting off the ocean behind the birds.’
34points
#14 Edwin Giesbers - Birds In The Environment - Silver
‘Most owl species lead a solitary life, but when autumn makes its appearance, Long-eared Owls are sometimes more gregarious. From September to April, some birds sleep in close proximity to one another during the daytime in so-called roost trees; in some cases these trees have been used for decades. Who knows, they could be in your neighbourhood because often these roost trees are located in residential areas. Trees like Beech and Silver Birch are used in autumn. But as these trees lose their leaves, the birds often move to a nearby Yew or fir where they are less noticeable than in a bare tree.’
33points
#15 Bence Mate - Bird Behaviour - Honorable Mention
‘Bird photographers rarely get the opportunity to shoot white birds in a white environment. I had planned for more than ten years to capture Great White Egrets in the snow, with snow clouds in the background so that their black legs and yellow beaks dominated the image. Lots of environmental factors needed to coincide at the same time for such an image to be possible. The European population of Great White Egrets is very resilient: in temperatures of -15° C they are protected by their thick plumage, while in temperatures as high as +40°C their colour reflects the sun’s rays.’
33points
#16 Hu Yi - Bird Behaviour - Bronze
‘This image shows two male Reeves’s Pheasants, performing an elaborate display that I refer to as their ‘dancing steps’. The behaviour is designed to attract the attention of the nearby female. The species is one of the most splendid and attractive of all protected birds in Xinyang City, Henan Province.’
31points
#17 Pedro Jarque Krebs - Creative Imagery - Honorable Mention
‘I took this photo while on a visit to London Zoo, just at the moment the pelicans were being fed. Two zookeepers were stationed on either side of their pond and fed the pelicans alternately. As a result the three birds were obliged to run from one side to the other, making them work for their dinner. In addition to giving the pelicans a bit of healthy exercise, it meant that the keepers could ensure that the fish were distributed equally and fairly, and all three pelicans got a decent meal.’
31points
#18 Kathryn Cooper - Creative Imagery - Silver
‘I visited Bempton Cliffs in June 2018, a place where half a million seabirds gather; they are drawn by plentiful nesting sites located along a 17-mile stretch of cliffs that are up to 400 feet high. The sheer number of birds in the air is a true wildlife spectacle and difficult to depict in a photograph. This image is part of a larger creative project that combines my inquisitiveness for art, science and nature. My background in science and programming allows me to write my own bespoke algorithms to compress the time dimension of a video onto a single image. To give you a sense of scale, this image contains ‘bird tracks’ captured over a five second period.’
29points
#19 Arturo De Frias - Best Portrait - Honorable Mention
‘Last spring, I went for another visit to my beloved Arctic - to the Svalbard archipelago, a place that I love with a passion. There, I was honing a photography technique that could be called ‘extreme overexposure’. All you need is a white animal and a white background, and then dial-in extreme exposure compensation (+ four stops in this case). Of course then you need some patience. But the results are truly unique: you are left with a kind of pencil sketch, in which most details of the bird and the background disappear.’
28points
#20 Chris Gomersall - Garden And Urban Birds - Honorable Mention
‘Having spent the day watching and photographing a large flock of Starlings feeding at a landfill site in the Negev Desert, some friends and I tried to predict where they might go to roost that night. We ended up at a power station near Be'er Sheva close to dusk, just in time to witness this pre-roost gathering. I barely had time to leap out of the car and grab a couple of shots before the birds moved on somewhere else. I chose to convert the image to black and white in post-production, to emphasise its graphic qualities.’
28points