Winners of the Bird Photographer Of The Year 2024 photo contest (28 photos)

From beautiful swans to a breakdancing penguin, these are the captivating photos that have won the 2024 Bird Photographer of the Year award. They were chosen from over 23,000 entries. The top prize went to Canadian photographer Patricia Homonilo — and we'll tell you why.





Competitors submitted over 23,000 photos on a variety of topics, including bird behavior, birds in flight, and even humorous work. But the winner was a thought-provoking photo. Patricia Homonilo captured birds that have died after colliding with windows and other reflective surfaces in Toronto’s urban areas. She hopes the image will “shock” and “inspire action.”

Paul Sterry, a trustee of Birds on the Brink, a charity that supports grassroots bird conservation projects around the world, called the winning photo “exceptional.”

“The mark of a good photo is that it either shows artistry or tells a story,” he said. “The mark of an exceptional photo is when it does both. The winning image is that photo.”

A southern sea lion hunts a Magellanic penguin, Falkland Islands. Tom Shandy (Norway), 3rd place in the Bird Behavior category



A young peregrine falcon learns to hunt, Southern California. Jack Zhi (USA), 2nd place in the Bird Behavior category

A turkey vulture picks at the remains of a bear, West Virginia. Nathaniel Peck (USA), 1st place in the category "Bird Behavior"



Black grouse during the mating season, Kuusamo. Markus Varesvuo (Finland), 3rd place in the category "Best Portrait"



Mute swans in a London park. Samuel Stone (UK), 2nd place, Best Portrait



Grey-crowned Rosy Finch, Alaska. Alan Murphy (USA), 1st place, Best Portrait



Gannets resting on the surface of the water, Gulf of California. Suliman Alatiki (Kuwait), 3rd place in the category "Birds in Flight"



"Aerial Ballet" of the European Goldfinch. Nicolas Groffal (France), 2nd place in the category "Birds in Flight"



Eurasian Hoopoe in the rays of the rising sun, UAE. Hermis Haridas (India), 1st place in the category "Birds in Flight"



Cape Petrel (Petrel), Antarctica. Jonas Beyer (Denmark), 3rd place in the category "Birds in Habitat"



Surfer Penguin, Falkland Islands. Levi Fitze (Switzerland), 2nd place in the category "Birds in the Habitat"



Northern Gannets diving into the water on a sunny day, Shetland Islands, Scotland. Kat Zhou (USA), 1st place in the category "Birds in the Habitat"



Three wild turkeys, Minnesota, taken through a window. Sparky Stensaas (USA), 3rd place in the Black and White category



Grey Heron with a full moon, Okavango Delta, Botswana. William Steele (South Africa), 2nd place in the Black and White category



Grey-headed Grebe disappearing beneath the surface, Sydney. David Stow (Australia), 1st place in the Black and White category



Long-crested Shrikes preparing for bed, Sabi Sands Game Reserve, South Africa. Gary Collyer (UK), 3rd place in the Comedy Bird category



A Scops Owl (Eastern Screech Owl) emerging from a tree hollow, Clearwater, Florida. Robert Glockner (USA), 2nd place in the category "Comedy Bird"



"Modern Dancer" - Adelie penguin, Antarctica. Nadja Hack (USA), 1st place in the category "Comedy Bird"



Crows against the backdrop of the Berlin TV tower. Tomas Grim (Czech Republic), 3rd place in the category "City Birds"



Common kestrels in a birdhouse on a high-rise building. Boldizsár Szúks (Hungary), 2nd place in the category "Urban Birds"



A mother duck leads her ducklings across the road, near the Vistula River, Warsaw. Grzegorz Długosz (Poland), 1st place in the category "Urban Birds"



A Common Plover on the Baltic coast. Emil Wagner (Germany), 1st place in the 15-17 age category



A Eurasian nuthatch climbs an oak tree. Andres Luis Dominguez Blanco (Spain), 1st place in the 12-14 age category and the Young Bird Photographer Award



A Eurasian bittern hunting for fish, Lake Federsee. Julian Mendloy (Germany), 1st place in the 11 years and under category



A dead Northern Gannet entangled in nesting line, Noss Island, Scotland. Joshua Galicki (USA), 3rd place in the Conservation category



Lovebirds at a bird market, Bali. Cheng Kang (Australia), 2nd place in the Conservation category



Migratory birds killed in collisions with windows, Toronto. Patricia Homonilo (Canada), winner of the Bird Photographer of the Year award