© Paula Czaeczine / Bird Photographer of the YearAcrobat of the Skies. Gold Winner, 12–14 Years. “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.”
© Volker Widmann / Bird Photographer of the YearSunset Puffin. Silver Winner, Best Portrait. “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.”
© Rahul Sachdev / Bird Photographer of the YearAn Ostrich Horizon. Gold Winner, Black and White. “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.”
© Alex Pansier / Bird Photographer of the YearPatterns. Silver Winner, Birds in Flight. “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.”
© David Stowe / Bird Photographer of the YearTiny Dancer. Bronze Winner, Best Portrait. “A male Western Parotia dances in the dark rainforest of West Papua in a dazzling attempt to attract a female.”
© Bernhard Schubert / Bird Photographer of the YearKleptoparasitism. Bronze Winner, Bird Behavior. “At the beach in Tulum, I positioned myself parallel to a fisherman whose unwanted catch repeatedly triggered aerial skirmishes overhead. The frigatebirds cruised just meters above him, and whenever a fish was tossed upward, the airspace erupted.”
© Luca Eberle / Bird Photographer of the YearDiscarded Evidence. Bronze Winner, Conservation (Single image). “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.”
© Henley Spiers / Bird Photographer of the YearSunball Rocket. Gold Winner, Birds in the Environment, and Bird Photographer of the Year 2026. “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 kilometers per hour.”
© Kent Stuart / Bird Photographer of the YearNot a Good Day Fishing. Gold Winner, Conservation (Single image). “This image was taken at a local pond that I frequent. It has limited access, so I hiked in from a cornfield on the back side. I was wearing chest waders and worked my way out to a mud flat. 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 shot.”
© Romain Barats / Bird Photographer of the YearBack to Fishing. Bronze Winner, Birds in the Environment. “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.”
© Patryk Kurc / Bird Photographer of the YearLord of the Reedbeds. Bronze Winner, Birds in Flight. “A bittern flying from reedbed to reedbed, captured from a floating hide, against the light of the rising sun.”
© Donald Chin / Bird Photographer of the YearI’m Keeping Everyone Dry. Gold Winner, Bird Behavior. “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.”
To see all of this year’s winners, be sure to visit the Bird Photographer of the Year website.
The post Winners of the Bird Photographer of the Year 2026 appeared first on The Atlantic.
