Here are the winning photos of the Bird Photographer of the Year 2023. With over 23,000 images entered into the competition this year, Bird Photographer of the Year is pleased to present the winners. Celebrating bird life from around the world, these images comprise some of the most incredible bird photos in the world taken by talented photographers, whilst also raising vital funds for partner charity Birds on the Brink.
“The 2023 Bird Photographer of the Year competition has revealed its champions, with Jack Zhi from the United States emerging as the grand winner, securing a prize of £5,000 for his remarkable photograph capturing a peregrine falcon in a fierce encounter with a sizable brown pelican.
Zhi’s quest to capture this extraordinary moment was a four-year journey. He reflects, “I dedicated four years of my life to capturing this elusive spectacle of a female falcon engaging large brown pelicans with astonishing speed and agility.”
He adds, “What I adore about this image are the eyes of the pelican – wide with surprise and tinged with fear. The action unfolded in the blink of an eye, but that unforgettable moment is etched in my memory forever.”
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#1 Overall Winner and Bird Photographer of the Year 2023: ‘Grab the Bull by the Horns’’ by Jack Zhi
During the breeding season, a female Peregrine Falcon fiercely protects her young, attacking anything that comes near the nest. For four years, I attempted to capture these rare moments of her attacking large Brown Pelicans with incredible speed and agility. The high-speed chase made it challenging to capture a close-up shot with a long lens. The falcon’s precision was amazing as it struck at the pelican’s head.
Taking the title of Bird Photographer of the Year, our Overall Winner is ‘Grab the Bull by the Horns’ by Jack Zhi. It features a female falcon attacking a brown pelican with great speed and agility. Zhi wins the top prize of £5,000 and the prestigious title. His image also won Gold Award in the Bird Behaviour category.
#2 Young Bird Photographer of the Year 2023: ‘Blue Hour and Red Moon’ by Anton Trexier
Blackbird singing in the dead of night. Blue atmosphere and red moon. Getting up before sunrise allows you to experience the magical awakening of animals. The blackbird is one of the first animals to awaken.
Our Young Bird Photographer of the Year is 17-year-old Anton Trexler with his image ‘Blue Hour and Red Moon’. Trexler wins £300 in vouchers for camera equipment.
#3 Best Portrait – Gold: ‘Glistening Green’ by Nicolas Reusens
#4 Best Portrait – Silver: ‘Parenting Goals’ by Thomas Vijayan
#5 Best Portrait – Bronze: ‘Coming Storm’ by Jake Levin
#6 Birds in the Environment – Gold: ‘Sunflower Paradise’ by Mateusz Piesiak
#7 Birds in the Environment – Silver: ‘The Dance of the Shadows’ by Clément Cornec
#8 Birds in the Environment – Bronze: ‘Staring at the River’ by Stefan Gerrits
#9 Bird Behaviour – Gold: ‘Grab the Bull by the Horns’ by Jack Zhi
#10 Bird Behaviour – Silver: ‘Blue-footed Fishing Dive’ by Henley Spiers
#11 Bird Behaviour – Bronze: ‘A Mother’s Love’ by Qiuqing Mu
#12 Birds in Flight – Gold: ‘Flying Sword’ by Rafael Armada
#13 Birds in Flight – Silver: ‘Green Planet Flamingos’ by Paul Mckenzie
#14 Birds in Flight – Bronze: ‘Common Nighthawk in Flight’ by Richard Sanchez
#15 Black and White – Gold: ‘Fascinating Droplet’ by Jason Moore
#16 Black and White – Silver: ‘The Heron in the Palms’ by Yaron Schmid
#17 Black and White – Bronze: ‘Morning Serenity’ by Cheng Kang
#18 Urban Birds – Gold: ‘A Moment of Prayer’ by Arto Leppänen
#19 Urban Birds – Silver: ‘Urban Paradise’ by Xiaoke Wang
#20 Urban Birds – Bronze: ‘Dawn at the Door of the Farmhouse’ by Julian Fernandez Quilez
#21 Comedy Bird Photo – Gold: ‘No Way Out’ by Antonio Aguti
#22 Comedy Bird Photo – Silver: ‘More Fish Please!’ by Levi Fitze
#23 Comedy Bird Photo – Bronze: ‘Northern Crested Caracara Display’ by Ann Gillis
#24 Conservation – Gold: ‘Don’t Make War’ by Ewan Heath-Flynn
#25 Conservation – Silver: ‘Seeing Eye to Eye’ by Michael Eastwell
#26 Conservation – Bronze: ‘The Spectacle of Migration’ by Lucas Giordano
#27 15-17 years – Gold: ‘Blue Hour and Red Moon’ by Anton Trexier
#28 12-14 years – Gold: ‘High-key Terns’ by Harry Sedin
#29 11 and under – Gold: ‘Verditer Flycatcher’ by Arko Saha
#30 Best Portfolio – Winner: ‘Little Brother of the North’ by Rachel Bigsby
#31 Best Portrait – Highly Commended: ‘Waiting’ by Ly Dang
#32 Birds in the Environment – Highly Commended: ‘Soloist’ by Julian Łoziński
#33 Bird Behaviour – Highly Commended: ‘Courtship at Dawn’ by José Juan Hernández
#34 Bird Behaviour – Highly Commended: ‘Brown-hooded Parrot’ by Gianni Maitan
#35 Birds in Flight – Highly Commended: ‘Gibson’s Wandering Albatross Flyby’ by Tony White
#36 Black and White – Highly Commended: ‘Splash of Light’ by Wes Peterson
#37 Urban Birds – Highly Commended: ‘Turn Off the Lights Please’ by Mario Suarez Porras
#38 Comedy Bird Photo – Highly Commended: ‘Hard Parenthood’ by Alvaro Cubero Vega
#39 Comedy Bird Photo – Highly Commended: ‘Greetings’ by Robert Gloeckner
#40 Conservation – Highly Commended: ‘Corpse Cliff’ by Henley Spiers
