The European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023 awards, presented by the German Society for Nature Photography (GDT), have crowned their winners, showcasing exceptional talent and dedication to capturing the essence of the natural world.
In a triumph of visual storytelling, Spanish photographer Javier Aznar González de Rueda emerged as the top laureate this year. His winning photograph, ‘Maternal Care,’ offers a poignant glimpse into the intricate world of nature, portraying a mother stink bug tenderly tending to her brood. Aznar González de Rueda’s lens not only captures the beauty of the moment but also underscores the importance of understanding natural history, advocating for wildlife conservation, and exploring the profound connection between humanity and the environment. Through his work, he illuminates the delicate balance and nurturing spirit that define the animal kingdom, reminding us of the marvels that exist within our natural surroundings.
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#1. Overall Winner: Maternal Care by Javier Aznar González de Rueda
In Ecuador’s largest protected area, Yasuní National Park, I was able to observe maternal care behaviour in the stink bug Antiteuchus tripterusover a two week period. The female bug guarded its clutch of eggs on a small branch. This behaviour has been reported for other true bug species. To my surprise, it turned out that the mother bug not only protected the eggs but also the newly hatched larvae up to their first moult. In Ecuador’s rainforest, the stink bug’s brood is vulnerable to attack by numerous predators and parasitoids such as ichneumon wasps. Maternal care significantly increases the offspring’s chances of survival. The rainforest is ahighly complex ecosystem with countless organisms in a vast interconnected web of life.
#2. Birds: Winner – Bird in Forest by Csaba Daroczi
#3. Mammals: Winner – Last Dance? by Jens Cullmann
#4. Other Animals: Winner – Water Ballet by Marjan Artnak
#5. Plants and Fungi: Winner – Lichen Dinner by Roberto Bueno
#6. Landscapes: Winner – Volcanic Swirls by Joel Delmas
#7. Underwater World: Winner – Nighttime Squadron by Catherine Holmes
#8. Man and Nature: Winner – Lost at Sea by Angel Fitor
#9. Nature´s Studio: Winner – Secret of the Mediterranean by Bruno D’Amicis
#10. Young Photographers to 14 Years: Winner – Tightrope Artist by Alberto Roman Gomez
#11. Young Photographers to 14 Years: Runnr Up – Conops Quadrifasciatus by Mattia Terreo
#12. Young Photographer 15 to 17 Years: Winner – Wave by Luca Lorenz
#13. Young Photographer 15 to 17 Years: Runner Up – Golden Hour by Anton Trexter
#14. Fritz Pölking Prize by Jasper Doest
#15. Fritz Pölking Junior Prize by Mateusz Piesiak
#16. Birds: Runner Up – Silence by Jan Piecha
#17. Mammals: Runner Up – Calm as Millpond by Ilkka Niskanen
#18. Other Animals: Runner Up – Nest building by Solvin Zankl
#19. Plants and Fungi: Runner Up – Defeated by Roberto Garcia Roa
#20. Landscapes: Runner Up – Paradise by Florian Smit
#21. Underwater World: Runner Up – Flamenco pose by Magnus Lundgren
#22. Man and Nature: Runner Up – Wrapped up by Marella
#23. Nature´s Studio: Runner Up – Transformation by Andrés Basilio Sagarna
#24. Birds: Highly Commended – Cannibalism by Andrés Miguel Domínguez
#25. Mammals: Rain graphic by Sergey Gorshkov
