Bird Photographer of the Year , (BPOTY) announced the winners of its anual competition, chosen from more than 24,000 amazing bird photos submitted this year by photographers from around the world.

With an eye on the £3,000 grand prize, photographers competed in eight different categories in the adult competition: Best Portrait, Birds in the Environment, Bird Behaviour, Birds in Flight, Black and White, Urban Birds, Conservation (Single Image) and Creative Perspectives.

There also was a Conservation Award, Portfolio Award and Video Award, as well as three categories in the youth competition.

Overall Winning Bird Photos

An image by British photographer Henley Spiers of a northern gannet bursting through the ocean’s surface snared the grand prize. The striking image was taken in Scotland’s waters.

The Young Bird Photographer of the Year 2026 was awarded to 16-year-old Parham Pourahmad from the United States for his enchanting image of a great horned owl framed against a full moon.

FEATURED | Frase By Forbes ™

Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase

Bird Photos To Help Conservation

Bird Photographer of the Year has conservation at its heart. This year, the competition donated more than £5,000 to partner charity Birds on the Brink , which provides vital funding to grassroots bird conservation projects around the world.

“In a world where AI-generated imagery is becoming increasingly common, this year’s winners are a powerful reminder of the value of authenticity,” says Will Nicholls, Director of Bird Photographer of the Year. “Every image in the competition represents a real moment in the wild, earned through patience, dedication and a genuine connection with nature."

This year’s photographs celebrate the beauty, wonder and authenticity of our natural world.

The next cycle of the competition, BPOTY 12, is now open for entries and invites photographers of all experience levels to submit their best bird photos.

Bird Photographer Of The Year Overall Winner

"The handsome northern gannets lead a dualistic existence,” says Henley Spiers. “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. Inflight, hunting mode takes over, and piercing yellow eyes, fringed with blue circles, scour the sea for prey.”

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.

Even Olympic divers will not exceed 60 kilometers per houre, and these sea birds are especially 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.

“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,” Roman Baratsn explains. “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 fast around me.”

In, Perth, Australia, as rain threads through the forest, a fledgling Tawny Frogmouth, camouflaged against bark and shadow, stretches its wings in what looks like covering its other siblings from the water droplets. Its big round eyes and open mouth make it a cute capture.

At the beach in Tulum, Mexico, the unwanted catch from a fisherman repeatedly triggered aerial skirmishes overhead. The frigate birds cruised just meters above him, and whenever a fish was tossed upward, the airspace erupted.

'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," Volker Widmann says. “At the puffin colony as the sun went down, I photographed this bird against the reflections in the ocean.”

A male Western Parotia dances in the dark rainforest of West Papua in a dazzling attempt to attract a female.

An ostrich makes its way towards the dry lake bed of Amboseli, Kenya. In black and white, the stark landscape emphasizes the bird’s solitary journey across the dust and heat.

“At our neighbor’s gate is a grass tree, also known as a Xanthorrhoea,” Raoul Slates explains. "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 wattle bird, butterflies and native bees.

“I’ve photographed this tree for a decade, but with never more than two spikes. This year thanks to the rain the tree got five spikes beautifully lined up.”

This image was taken at a local pond in Warren County, Washington. “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," Kent Stuart explains. "He was so close I could only get a head shot.”

“On a blazing summer day,” Asmund Keilen recalls, “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.”

Great cities are extremely complex habitats. Attracted by the massive amount of food resources, Yellow-legged Seagulls have lived in Rome for many years. The tall buildings act for the seagulls as if cliffs on the sea, and they use them as perfect nesting structures.

The photographer hosted a seagull colony on the roof of his house and had the chance to study their behavior and preferred perches in order to get this picture.

“I put a removable poster on the wall and waited for the arrival of one of the gulls.”

The image highlights the bold and assertive behavior that enables gulls to thrive in close proximity to people.

Bird Photos By Young Photographers

A pair of great horned owls were nesting in a park next to Parham Pourahmad’s house.

“I headed out at dusk, hoping to capture a strong portrait of the owls. However, my aim shifted when as the full moon rising on the horizon one of the owls flew down to a pine tree and I could frame it against the moon.”

“On a small island in Norway, I observed Red-Necked Phalaropes foraging for food,” said Paula Czaeczine. "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 to trap a small moth."

"The Great Cormorants in the area where I live are elusive and do not easily allow themselves to be photographed," Alberto Gomez says. “However, in London, they were far more trusting and allowed people to approach within a few meters. I was able to observe the beautiful black metallic sheen of their feathers but what caught my attention were their emerald-green eyes. So I decided to take a close portrait of the bird’s head.”

The full gallery of winning photos from the Bird Photographer Of The Year 2026 competition can be viewed here.