The winners of Bird Photographer of the Year 2026 have been announced, showcasing some of the most striking bird photography captured around the world this year. More than 24,000 images were submitted to the competition, with photographers competing across eight adult categories for the £3,000 grand prize.
This year’s top award went to UK photographer Henley Spiers for Sunball Rocket, a dramatic image of a northern gannet bursting through the ocean’s surface in Scottish waters. The Young Bird Photographer of the Year 2026 title was awarded to 16-year-old Parham Pourahmad from the United States for his enchanting photograph of a great horned owl framed against the full moon.
From bird portraits and behavior to flight, conservation, urban birds, and creative photography, the winning images highlight the incredible variety of ways photographers capture the world’s birds.
Scroll down to see some of the winning and awarded photographs from the contest.
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#1 Bronze, Best Portrait: Tiny Dancer By David Stowe
A male Western Parotia dances in the dark rainforest of West Papua in a dazzling attempt to attract a female.
Canon EOS R5 with Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens. 500mm; 1/100s; f/4; ISO 6,400.
Image source: © David Stowe / Bird Photographer of the Year
#2 Gold, Urban Birds: Alter Ego By Gianluca Damiani
In Rome, tall buildings function for yellow-legged gulls much like coastal cliffs, offering nesting, roosts, and perches to survive within the city. This individual was photographed on a rooftop where a small colony had settled. The dry pet food visible on the windowsill reflects a routine practice by local residents of feeding urban birds, especially since COVID-19. I did not place or add any food, but a small, removable sticker was temporarily applied to the wall as a neutral visual element, without altering resources or influencing the bird’s behaviour.
As a researcher studying urban birds for my PhD project, I observed and recorded this scene without interfering with the animals, and encouraged people to stop feeding birds without awareness. The image highlights the bold and assertive behaviour that enables gulls to thrive in close proximity to people.
Nikon Z 9 with Nikon VR 70-200mm f/2.8G lens. 112mm; 1/1,250s; f/5; ISO 2,200.
Image source: © Gianluca Damiani / Bird Photographer of the Year
#3 Silver, Birds In The Environment: Majesty By Åsmund Keilen
A majestic golden eagle drifts in dark silhouette across the face of the moon, its outstretched wings cutting a powerful shape through silver light. Below, winter-clad peaks rise in quiet stillness, their frozen ridges layered through in-camera multiple exposure to shape the visual expression I envisioned. The composition feels both graphic and atmospheric, a meeting of shadow and glow, strength and silence. Suspended against the luminous moon, the eagle becomes a timeless presence in the cold, breathless vastness of the alpine night.
Canon EOS 5DS R with Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. 360mm; 1/8,000s; f/5.6; ISO 400.
Image source: © Åsmund Keilen / Bird Photographer of the Year
#4 Gold, Best Portrait: Radiant By Thomas Deliberto
A male greater sage-grouse during its courtship display. As the sun was rising over the shadowed sagebrush hill behind him, it illuminated the bird’s tail feathers such that they appeared to radiate light. I was fortunate to visit a sage-grouse lek, an area in which the birds congregate to mate. Arriving at the lek before sunrise, I crouched behind some rocks, facing east to get a backlit photo of a male. As the sun rose above the hill behind the lek, I was able to capture this male in full display. Greater Sage-Grouse are the largest native grouse in North America. As their name implies, these birds are intimately tied to the sagebrush ecosystems of the Intermountain West. Their populations in recent years have declined precipitously due to a loss of habitat.
Nikon Z 9 with Nikon Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens and 1.4x teleconverter. 784mm; 1/160s; f/5.6; ISO 64.
Image source: © Thomas Deliberto / Bird Photographer of the Year
#5 Silver, Best Portrait: Sunset Puffin By Volker Widmann
I spent several days on Skomer to photograph the Atlantic Puffins in the early morning and late evening, when the day tourists had left the island and you had the birds almost to yourself. This evening, I waited at the puffin colony until the sun went down and photographed this bird against the reflections in the ocean.
Canon EOS R5 with Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens. 500mm; 1/400s; f/4; ISO 100.
Image source: © Volker Widmann / Bird Photographer of the Year
#6 Adult Overall Winner; Gold, Birds In The Environment: Sunball Rocket By Henley Spiers
A northern gannet seems to burst through the sun as it pierces down through the water. The handsome northern gannets lead a dualistic existence. In the nest, their newborn is carefully nurtured, and a couple’s bond is reinforced by pointing sharp beaks to the sky as they tenderly stroke their white necks together. In flight, hunting mode takes over, and piercing yellow eyes, fringed with blue circles, scour the sea for prey. Their long wingspan and streamlined bodies make flying look effortless, gliding along with just the occasional pulse of their wings. 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 86 km/ph. Even Olympic divers will not exceed 60 km/ph, and these seabirds are specially adapted for the impact: muscles along the neck lock their vertebrae into place and air sacs in the face and chest act as airbags. Even their nostrils are evolved for this aquatic existence, located internally to prevent water ingress during fishing dives.
Nikon Z 8 with Nikon 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5E lens. 15mm; 1/200s; f/11; ISO 500.
Image source: © Henley Spiers / Bird Photographer of the Year
#7 Bronze, Conservation (Single Image): Discarded Evidence By Luca Eberle
Although hunting of migratory species in Malta is regulated by national law, violations remain widespread, with dozens, sometimes hundreds, of protected and rare birds illegally killed each season, including many raptors. To detect offenses, authorities occasionally inspect hunters’ taxidermy collections. To avoid detection and make room for newly killed birds, some hunters dispose of older specimens. In this photo, a BirdLife Malta officer discovers an old stuffed Egyptian vulture dumped by the roadside near an informal landfill. The species is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN in the Mediterranean and is strictly protected. Whoever discarded it likely did so to make space for another individual planned to be illegally shot in the next migration season.
Canon R6 Mark II with Laowa 15mm f/4 Macro lens. 15mm; 1/250s; ISO 400.
Image source: © Luca Eberle / Bird Photographer of the Year
#8 Gold, Birds In Flight: Eye-To-Eye With A Short-Eared Owl By Ivan Sjögren
A short-eared owl courses over the salt marshes of British Columbia’s Fraser River Delta. This was a magical evening, with five owls feeding around me as dusk fell. I witnessed both fights between owls and, later, displays in which they clapped their wings together. I took this photo by positioning myself strategically, hunkering down in the grass after anticipating the owls’ hunting routes. I was lucky that the owl turned its head to look at me as it passed silently by.
Canon EOS R5 with Canon EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM lens and 1.4x teleconverter. 700mm; 1/2,500s; f/5.6; ISO 5,000.
Image source: © Ivan Sjögren / Bird Photographer of the Year
#9 Gold, Conservation (Single Image): Not A Good Day Fishing By Kent Stuart
This image was taken at a local pond that I frequent. It has limited access, so I hike in from a cornfield on the back side. I was wearing chest waders and worked my way out to a mudflat. I used a ground pod with a gimbal and had a camouflage net covering me. I was attempting to get shots of wood ducks, sandpipers, and killdeer when this great blue heron, with a bobber and fishing line around his beak, flew in and landed right next to me. He was so close I could only get a head-on shot.
Nikon Z 9 with Nikon Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens. 800mm; 1/800s; f/6.3; ISO 500.
Image source: © Kent Stuart / Bird Photographer of the Year
#10 Silver, Urban Birds: Deception’s Hope By Romain Barats
This picture was taken on Deception Island, near the Antarctic Peninsula. Many disasters have happened on Deception Island. Home of a fur seal trade that led to the almost extinction of seals, a whaling station, and then many volcanic eruptions leading to the destruction of scientific stations, this island looks like it is cursed. But since then, nature has taken back its rights, like these gentoo penguins posing in front of a rusty whale blubber warehouse like guards. It gives a bit of hope in Deception. I took the picture during a sailboat expedition to Antarctica.
Canon EOS R5 Mark II with Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens and 1.4x teleconverter. 237mm; 1/200s; f/14; ISO 2,000.
Image source: © Romain Barats / Bird Photographer of the Year
#11 Bronze, Birds In The Environment: Back To Fishing By Romain Barats
I was snorkeling in the magnificent Port Charcot Bay in Antarctica when a raft of gentoo penguins suddenly showed up, en route to fish and feed on krill. These iconic birds are incredibly curious, so they went straight to me to evaluate if I could be a threat or not. They spent a while swimming so fast around me.
Canon EOS R5 with Canon RF 70–200mm f/2.8 lens. 86mm; 1/1,000s; f/2.8; ISO 4,000.
Image source: © Romain Barats / Bird Photographer of the Year
#12 Gold, Bird Behaviour: I’m Keeping Everyone Dry By Donald Chin
Rain threads through the forest. Camouflaged against bark and shadow, a fledgling tawny frogmouth stretches its wings in what looks like covering its other siblings from the water droplets. Stillness is its field, with patience its inheritance. In the hush between falling drops, resilience becomes a form of quiet strength. His big round eyes and open mouth make it a cute capture.
Sony a9 III with Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and 1.4x teleconverter. 840mm; 1/200s; f/5.6; ISO 4,000.
Image source: © Donald Chin / Bird Photographer of the Year
#13 Silver, Creative Perspectives: Turbulence By Henley Spiers
What if the most impressive animal you could encounter in British waters wasn’t a fish or a whale, but a bird? That was exactly how it felt to me in the frigid sea at Britain’s northernmost point. The dark water was repeatedly shattered by the dives of dozens of northern gannets, plunging after their prey. Visibility vanished as the birds hit the surface with astonishing precision, streaking underwater in cascades of bubbles. My heart pounded with adrenaline as I scanned the turbid water, until the gaze of a gannet met mine, its blue-yellow eyes unmistakable even through the haze.
The aim was to convey the explosive movement of the hunt using a slow shutter and intentional camera movement. I understood the technical settings required, but the gannets’ speed and unpredictability made success elusive. After many failed frames, this image emerged as the one that best captured the energy and intensity of the moment.
Nikon D850 with Nikon 28-70mm f/3.5-4.5 lens. 31mm; 1/8s; f/22; ISO 80.
Image source: © Henley Spiers / Bird Photographer of the Year
#14 Gold, Creative Perspectives: Sundance By Åsmund Keilen
On a blazing summer day, a common swift slices through the air, captured in an in-camera multiple exposure reflected in the glossy roof of our blue car. The sun burns at the center of the frame, radiating heat and brilliance, while drifting birch seeds scatter across the reflection like a fleeting flock echoing the swift’s movement. Sky, light, and motion blend into one shimmering composition, transforming an ordinary surface into a stage for midsummer energy, weightless, restless, and alive with warmth.
Canon EOS 5DS R with Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. 1/8,000s; ISO 640.
Image source: © Åsmund Keilen / Bird Photographer of the Year
#15 Bronze, Birds In Flight: Lord Of The Reedbeds By Patryk Kurc
A bittern flying from reedbed to reedbed, captured from a floating hide, against the light of the rising sun. In Poland, it is one of the most secretive birds.
Canon EOS R5 Mark II with Canon RF 400mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens. 400mm; 1/4,000s; f/2.8; ISO 400.
Image source: © Patryk Kurc / Bird Photographer of the Year
#16 Gold, Black And White: An Ostrich Horizon By Rahul Sachdev
An ostrich makes its way towards the dry lake bed of Amboseli. In black and white, the stark landscape emphasizes the bird’s solitary journey across the dust and heat.
Canon EOS R5 with Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 IS USM lens. 300mm; 1/800s; f/11; ISO 250.
Image source: © Rahul Sachdev / Bird Photographer of the Year
#17 Silver, Bird Behaviour: Spread Eagle By Mark Carwardine
The Great Bear Rainforest on the west coast of Canada, as its name suggests, is a wet place, and on this particular day, it had been raining nonstop. I was on a Zodiac slowly meandering along an inlet in the forest when I spotted this magnificent juvenile bald eagle with its wings spread open. This behaviour is usually associated with either cooling down or drying feathers, but it seemed an almost impossible task in such relentless rain. Still, the eagle held its posture with determination.
Canon EOS R5 with Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens and 1.4x teleconverter. 280mm; 1/200s; f/4; ISO 800.
Image source: © Mark Carwardine / Bird Photographer of the Year
#18 Silver, Birds In Flight: Patterns By Alex Pansier
Captured in March 2025 on Hornøya, this image reveals a mesmerizing swarm of guillemots in flight. What first appears as an Escher-like illusion is nature’s own design, organized chaos in motion. The sky becomes a canvas of repetition and rhythm, where the boundaries between order and disorder dissolve before your eyes.
Sony a1 II with Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM II lens. 37mm; 1/1,250s; f/5.6; ISO 3,200.
Image source: © Alex Pansier / Bird Photographer of the Year
#19 Bronze, Black And White: Promenade Preening By Julian Terreros-Martin
A little penguin walks this Tasmanian promenade during the night to reach its burrow tucked safely away in the nearby shrubs. Using the promenade lighting to light the subject, this image shows how these penguins have found a way to live alongside humans and even nest in the town’s gardens. They use the path and stairs like they were designed just for them, walking with a confident swagger.
Canon EOS R3 with Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens. 270mm; 1/30s; f/2.8; ISO 8,000.
Image source: © Julian Terreros-Martin / Bird Photographer of the Year
#20 Silver, Black And White: Grass Tree By Raoul Slater
At our neighbour’s gate is a grass tree, also known as a Xanthorrhoea. These slow-growing succulents are native to Australia, and there are 30 species. They produce spectacular flower spikes that drip with nectar, attracting birds like this little wattlebird, butterflies, and native bees. I’ve photographed this tree for a decade, but with never more than two spikes. This year was a great one for rain, and the tree responded with 5 spikes. As I drove out our gate each morning, I passed an exact point where they lined up beautifully. The car, with a towel draped across the window, provided a perfect hide. What you can’t see just below the edge of the photo is the house of the next neighbour along. It took some explanation to convince him that I hadn’t set up covert surveillance on his front door.
Canon EOS R5 with Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary lens. 347mm; 1/1,600s; f/14; ISO 1,600.
Image source: © Raoul Slater / Bird Photographer of the Year
#21 Youth Overall Winner; Gold, 15-17 Years: Moonlit Night By Parham Pourahmad
On a small island in Norway, I observed Red-Necked Phalaropes foraging for food. I found a pair of Great Horned Owls nesting in a park next to my house. I headed out at dusk, hoping to capture a strong portrait of the owls. However, my aim shifted when I saw the full moon rising on the horizon. One of the owls flew down to a pine tree, and I quickly moved into position to frame it against the moon.
Canon EOS Rebel T5i with Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary lens. 275mm; 1/500s; f/5.6; ISO 6,400.
Image source: © Parham Pourahmad / Bird Photographer of the Year
#22 Bronze, Creative Perspectives: Grebe Impression By Julian Łoziński
A young great crested grebe photographed using the ICM technique. I took the photo from a kayak, and I must admit that combining the aforementioned technique with kayaking was a bit of a challenge. Initially, I held the camera still at a focal length of 400mm, then zoomed out to 100mm, pointed the lens at the trees on the lake shore where the light was shining through, and in this way, I added structure to the frame by moving the camera. Fortunately, both the photographer and the camera stayed dry.
Canon EOS R5 Mark II with Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM lens. 400mm; 2.5s; f/8; ISO 100.
Image source: © Julian Łoziński / Bird Photographer of the Year
#23 Bronze, Urban Birds: The Window Of Dreams By Julian Fernandez Quilez
From inside an abandoned house, photographed remotely during the bird’s visits in and out, the evening light pours through the window and casts warm shadows across the aged wood. Among old books, flowers, and silence, a space is revealed that seems suspended in time. This is the home of this solitary rock thrush, which has made these forgotten walls both its refuge and its window onto the outside world.
Canon EOS 5D Mark III with Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens. 45mm; 1/160s; f/18; ISO 100.
Image source: © Julian Fernandez Quilez / Bird Photographer of the Year
#24 Gold, 12-14 Years: Acrobat Of The Skies By Paula Czaeczine
On a small island in Norway, I observed Red-Necked Phalaropes foraging for food. One bird was swimming on a pond, pecking insects from the surface. Suddenly, it raised its head, stretched upwards, spread its wings, and fluttered into the air.
Luckily, I had selected a high frame rate and was able to capture this fascinating moment, as well as the small moth the bird had caught.
Nikon Z 8 with Nikon Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S lens. 600mm; 1/2,000s; f/6.3; ISO 1,100.
Image source: © Paula Czaeczine / Bird Photographer of the Year
#25 Gold, 11 And Under: Emerald Eye By Alberto Román Gómez
The Great Cormorants in the area where I live are elusive and do not easily allow themselves to be photographed. However, in London, they were far more trusting and allowed people to approach within a few metres. I was able to observe them calmly and see that they are beautiful black birds with a metallic sheen. What really caught my attention, though, were their emerald-green eyes, so I decided to take a close portrait of the bird’s head.
OM System OM-1 with OM-System 100-400mm f/5-6.3 lens. 321mm; 1/80s; f/6.3; ISO 2,000.
Image source: © Alberto Román Gómez / Bird Photographer of the Year
#26 Bronze, Bird Behaviour: Kleptoparasitism By Bernhard Schubert
At the beach in Tulum, I positioned myself parallel to a fisherman whose unwanted catch repeatedly triggered aerial skirmishes overhead. The frigatebirds cruised just metres above him, and whenever a fish was tossed upward, the airspace erupted. I tracked the initial grab and ensuing chase with a fast shutter speed and wide AF area, anticipating erratic direction changes.
Canon EOS R5 with Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens. 300mm; 1/4,000s; f/10; ISO 3,200.
Image source: © Bernhard Schubert / Bird Photographer of the Year
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