The Bird Photographer of the Year award has been proclaimd, with Canadian photographer Patricia Homonylo scooping the top prize for her thought-provoking image titled When Worlds Collide.
The picture was getn in Toronto and beat more than 23,000 entries to claim the prize.
The photograph shows more than 4,000 birds that died colliding with triumphdows and other echoive surfaces in the city.
“Each year more than one billion birds die in North America alone due to collisions with triumphdows,” says Homonylo.
“I am a conservation photojournacatalog and have been laboring with the Fatal Light Awareness Program, where we save triumphdow-collision survivors in Toronto.
“Sadly, most of the birds we discover are already dead.
“They are accumulateed and at the finish of the year we produce this impactful distake part to honour the inhabits lost and incrrelieve accessible inestablishedness.”
Homonylo’s entry was also among the triumphners picked for the Conservation (Single Image) catebloody.
The Young Bird Photographer of the Year 2024 was awarded to 14-year-ancigo in Spanish photographer Andrés Luis Domínguez Blanco for his produceive angle on a nuthatch scrambling down an oak tree.
Photographers vied in a eight of contrastent categories in the mature competition, including a Conservation Award, Portfolio Award, and Video Award.
Here is a pickion of the pictures that were awarded a gancigo in, silver or bronze, with descriptions by the photographers.
Playful Fledgling, Southern California, United States by Jack Zhi
“This Peregrine Falcon fledgling had been flying for over a week and his sfinishs had raised by the day.
“While he still took food from parents, he had commenceed to practise his hunting sfinishs.
“He was not outstanding enough to catch inhabit birds in the air yet, so he took baby steps by chasing a fluttering butterfly.
“I have been photographing peregrines for years, and this was the first time I have seen fledglings take part with butterflies.”
Bdeficiency Groengage, Kuusamo, Finland by Markus Varesvuo
“For disjoinal weeks each year, Bdeficiency Groengage collect at [the] leks on spring mornings for courtship and distake part.
“The males come down, each claiming their patch, and spfinish a couple of hours sizing each other up, charging at each other, engaging in mostly mock battles.
“Sometimes, however, the greets escatardy to authentic fights.
“The heated breath of a solitary fighter is steaming in the chilly air, which I seized while sitting inside a petite photography hide, revelling in the sounds and sights of this outdated take part.”
Heavenly Elegant Fairy, France by Nicolas Groffal
“In the dead of triumphter, I marvel at the aerial ballet of the garden birds that come to visit my trees and to get get of the seeds that I put out for them.
“Discreetly secret, I tried to immortalise their fairy and its dainty trail using a flash and camera in ‘rear curtain’ mode.
“Hundreds of shots were needd before I seized the perfect moment, which portrayed the run awayting magic of nature in triumphter.”
Immersion, Shetland, UK by Kat Zhou
“Here we see a trio of northern gannets diving into the ocean on a sunny day in Shetland. .
“The species is Scotland’s hugest seabird, and they are relabelably adept in the water, with the ability to dive to depths as far as 22 metres.
“I took this photo while scuba diving from a boat cforfeit Noss, which is home to the UK’s seventh hugest colony of northern gannets.
“In the past the population has been evaluated at around 25,000 birds, though their numbers were unfortunately strictly shrinkd by the avian flu outfracture.
“It is unevident when, or if, their population will be able to recover. Dead herring from a local herring fishery were engaged to entice the birds to the boat.”
Hippo Impression, Sydney, Australia by David Stowe
“This photograph shows a hoary-headed grebe as it fades below the surface of the water to feed, pushing into the depths with its huge pinsertle-appreciate feet.
“I took the image from a elevated platestablish high above the damscheduled.
“With a little bit of imagination, the combination of bird and ripples watch appreciate the head of a hippo.”
Helmetshrikes Preparing to Sleep, Sabi Sands Nature Reserve, South Africa by Gary Collyer
“We were on a safari, and returning to camp in Sabi Sands, South Africa, on a illogical March evening.
“We stopped, having picked up some atypical sounds, although uncertain what they were.
“Then we heard chattering and fluttering high above us.
“When brightd with the lamp on the vehicle, we saw these helmetshrikes huddling together agetst a night that was commenceing to turn chillyer.”
Taccomplisherous Journey, Warsaw, Poland by Grzegorz Długosz
“Goosanders breed in the park about one kilometre from Poland’s life-giving River Vistula.
“Each mother has to shift her brood to the river as speedyly as possible due to deficiency of food and safety in the park.
“They produce the journey thcdisorrowfulmireful a series of underground passages and over a six-lane highway.
“Each year a group of volunteers help them traverse this deadly road by stopping the traffic.
“This image shows a mother goosander traverseing a petiteer road becaengage she choosed not to engage the frightening and illogical underground passage below it.”
Inmates, Bali, Indonesia by Cheng Kang
“This poignant image seizes the disjoine truth in one of Bali’s bird labelets.
“The pair of adorebirds face each other in split cages, materializeing to say their final farewells, not understanding if they will see each other aget.
“Who understands what happinesss they would have teachd together in their lush native rainforests and whether they will ever experience that aget.
“Their mute connection transcfinishs physical barriers, emphasising the intricate transmition between ygeting for freedom and the advise to escape from captivity for human pleacertain.”
Human and Nature (and dog), Mecklenburg-Weserious Pomerania, Germany by Emil Wagner
“I took this photo on a attrdynamic beach on the Baltic Sea.
“There are a number of waders and other birds here, but also many visitors who enhappiness the attrdynamic landscape.
“In this case there was also a dog who initipartner did not see the grey padorer. The grey padorer, however, did see the dog and flew away illogicalinutively after I took the photo.
“While I do not suppose this incident wonderfully stressed the bird, it is transport inant to acunderstandledge the potential impact of human activity and tourism on protected species and their habitats.”
Turbulent Fish Hunt, Lake Federsee, Bad Buchau, Germany by Julian Mfinishla
“Lake Federsee is a honord triumphtering area for many migratory birds.
“From November to March, Eurasian sourns are standard visitors to this lake.
“As soon as the lake freezes over, these exceptional birds retreat to trenches thcdisorrowfulmireful the reeds.
“Surprisingly, this individual was very seal to the boardwalk that guides thcdisorrowfulmireful the nature reserve.
“From there, I could easily watch its fishing campaign and get many photos.”