The conservation charity known as Birds on the Brink has been hosting the Bird Photographer of the Year competition for the past six years. The contest celebrates the world’s best bird photographers while supporting conservation efforts through financial aid. The Bird Photographer of the Year organization has released a selection of its finalists for the 2021 competition.
Wildlife photographers across the world have submitted their best shots of avian species in several categories of this competition. Over 22,000 pictures from 73 different countries were entered in the Bird Photographer of the Year 2021. The overall winner of the contest will receive the coveted title and a £5,000 cash prize. The deserving winners for the Bird Photographer of the Year will be announced on September 21, 2021, and here are the best 25 images from the finalists of this year that’ll traverse you in a state of awe.
It’s Gossip Hour: An Eurasian jackdaw and a fallow deer seem to be having a chit-chat session with the setting sun in the backdrop.
Image: Amanda Cook
Food Play: This hamerkop bird tossed its prey, the toad, into the air in order to kill, captured in Zimanga Private Reserve, South Africa.
Image: Daniel Zhang
Through the Broken Glass: Captured from inside of a stable, using a remote trigger to capture the picture of swallows returning to the same place to nest.
Image: David White
Together: A pair of mute swans pose elegantly on a lake with a foggy backdrop.
Image: Diana Schmies
Scavengers of Nature: Southern giant petrel scavenging on the dead seal.
Image: Eirik Grønningsæter
Bold or Naive: A red fox took the risk and entered the feeding area of eagles to find something to eat, but got slapped by this mighty bird.
Image: Fahad Alenezi
Brawling Birds: Two Atlantic puffins brawling on the cliffs of Hornøya Island in Norway,
Image: Øyvind Pedersen
That Proud Moment: Two emperor penguins look at their offspring in a moment of pride and endearment.
Image: Thomas Vijayan
Away From Home: These two seabirds are clearly away from home – seems like they are going dumpster diving to find some food.
Image: Terry Whittaker/BPOTY
The Mother-Child Bond: In this intimate peek into the mute swan’s life, an infant cygnet resting its head on its sleeping mother.
Image: Andrew Parkinson
Looking for Leftovers: A hungry European shag is sticking its head into its mother’s throat to find any food leftovers.
Image: Brian Matthews
Dripping Drink: Taken at Lake Kussharo, Japan, this photograph shows a thirsty northern race longtailed tit drinking dripping water from icicles.
Image: Claire Waring
Feeding on Parasites: In South Luangwa National Park, red-billed oxpeckers feed on parasites that grow on the hippopotamus skin.
Image: Daniela Anger
The Hummingbird and The Wasp: Captured in Costa Rica, the two beings had a brief encounter, creating a ruckus, before both flew off unharmed.
Image: Gail Bisson
Oh! The Cruel Nature: Great cormorant in breeding plumage with beautiful green eyes was captured in this beautiful shot as it was about
Image: Irma Szabo
American Oystercatcher: A mother oystercatcher is teaching its young one to forage and how to open crustaceans.
Image: James Wilcox
Winter Has Come: A group of red-crowned cranes is performing honking rituals during a winter morning.
Image: Li Ying Lou
With A Backdrop of Fire: This bar-tailed godwit was photographed in the late evening at Gijón in northern Spain, while the evening lights presented a fire-like backdrop.
Image: Mario Suarez Porras
Fluttering in the Dark: This Eurasian nuthatch was photographed using rear-curtain flash synchronization.
Image: Mark Williams
New World Warbler: The breath of this black-and-white warbler shows the
Image: Raymond Hennessy
Headfirst into the Snow: This great grey owl takes a dive into a snowstorm, probably to catch its prey.
Image: Scott Suriano
A Streak of Sunlight: A small group of flying cranes is highlighted in a streak of sunlight in this stunning picture.
Image: Taku Ono
Let’s Go Surfing: A Gentoo penguin was photographed in a jolly mood as it goes surfing on the tides.
Image: Tom Schandy
Flaunting Fishing Skills: A great cormorant shows off its fishing skills as it captures a big fish in its beak.
Image: Tzahi Finkelstein
Chase and Catch: A mallard duckling is chasing a fly in a pond in the city of Prague.
Image: Zdeněk Jak