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a tropical bird is puffed up in an elaborate mating dance
David Stowe, “Tiny Dancer.” Western parotia, Mingre, West Papua, Indonesia. Bronze, Best Portrait. All images © the artists, courtesy of Bird Photographer of the Year, shared with permission

Diverse and Dramatic Behaviors Top the 2026 Bird Photographer of the Year Contest

Kate Mothes

It’s all things avian at Bird Photographer of the Year, the world’s largest contest dedicated to images of feathered creatures planet-wide. This year, the program welcomed more than 24,000 entries from photographers around the globe, capturing diving penguins, urban denizens, mating rituals, dramatic flights, and more.

Highlighting birds of all kinds, the competition emphasizes the diverse appearances and behaviors of the animals and also raises awareness of the challenges they face due human-triggered habitat loss, poaching, pollution, and other factors. Categories include Best Portrait, Bird Behavior, Conservation, Urban Birds, and others, plus three youth categories for budding photographers aged 17 years and younger.

a northern gannet dives underwater like a torpedo
Henley Spiers, “Sunball Rocket.” Northern gannet, Shetland, Scotland, U.K. Overall Winner and Gold, Birds in the Environment

Top prize in this year’s edition went to Henley Spiers’ underwater image of a diving northern gannet captured off the Shetland Islands, about 110 miles north of mainland Scotland. These large seabirds, which nest on steep cliffs and rocks, are a common sight around the northern nation, which is home to around 40 percent of the world’s population. Unfortunately, some of the massive colonies suffered severe losses due to bird flu, an outbreak that may take 15 years to recover from.

Spiers captures the gannet from beneath the water’s surface as it aims for a meal. He says, “When fish are spotted, the gannets fly into the wind and stretch out their wings as brakes, precisely adjusting their position in relation to their quarry. Moments later, with wings tucked in tightly, the gannet shape-shifts into a pointed torpedo, diving into the water at speeds of up to 86km/h.” That’s more than 50 miles per hour.

See all of the winners on the Bird Photographer of the Year website, and follow updates on Instagram.

numerous penguins dive underwater
Romain Barats, “Back to Fishing.” Gentoo penguin, Charcot Bay, Antarctica. Bronze, Birds in the Environment
a beautiful, puffed-up bird illuminated by the sun from behind
Thomas Deliberto, “Radiant.” Greater sage-grouse, Utah, U.S. Gold, Best Portrait
a bird shields its two young beneath its wing in the rain
Donald Chin, “I’m Keeping Everyone Dry.” Tawny frogmouth, Perth, Australia. Gold, Bird Behavior
a short-eared owl in flight, low over a meadow, looks directly at the viewer
Ivan Sjögren, “Eye-to-Eye with a Short-Eared Owl.” Short-eared owl, British Colombia, Canada. Gold, Birds in Flight
a black-and-white photo of a dramatic landscape with an ostrich silhouetted by sun rays
Rahul Sachdev, “An Ostrich Horizon.” Ostrich, Amboseli, Kenya. Gold, Black and White
waterfowl leaps up above some water to capture an insect
Paula Czaeczine, “Acrobat of the Skies.” Red-necked phalarope, Rost, Lofoten, Norway. Gold, 12-14 Years
a photo of a heron with a fishing line and bobber wrapped around its beak so it cannot eat
Kent Stuart, “Not a Good Fishing Day.” Great blue heron, Washington, New Jersey, U.S. Gold, Conservation (Single Image)
a seagull spreads its wings above a wall with a small painting of a seagull flying, carrying a stolen wallet
Gianluca Damiani, “Alter Ego.” Yellow-legged gull, Rome, Italy. Gold, Urban Birds
a puffin stands in the foreground a blurred sunset
Volker Widmann, “Sunset Puffin.” Atlantic puffin, Skomer Island, U.K. Silver, Best Portrait
an eagle perches on a fallen limb and spreads its wings
Mark Carwardine, “Spread Eagle.” Bald eagle, Great Bear Rainforest, Canada. Silver, Bird Behavior

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