The winning entries in this year’s Bird Photographer of the Year competition were recently announced, with Erlend Haarberg named as the overall winner for his image of a rock ptarmigan taking flight high on a Norwegian mountain. Contest organizers were kind enough to share some of the other winners here, in eight different categories, selected from a field of more than 20,000 entries.

Rock Ptarmigan Flight. Overall Winner and Gold Winner, Birds in the Environment. High above the tree-line, the wind, snow and cold maintain the iron grip of winter for months on end. This is where rock ptarmigan thrive, small white feather-balls in an endless white landscape. On this particular winter day, I was on my way to a mountaintop by Tysfjorden in Norway to photograph landscapes. I had almost reached the summit when I spotted some ptarmigan tracks criss-crossing between the rocks. From behind a rock, a small head appeared, and seconds later it took to wing with the mountains and fjord landscape in the background, setting the scene perfectly. #

Waxwing Silhouette. Bronze Winner, Bird Behavior. A flock of more than 100 Bohemian Waxwings descended onto these berry bushes, devouring them right in front of me. Not only are they beautiful birds, but the action of them picking berries and often flipping them in the air to eat them is impressive and very photogenic. The challenge is that when they are in the middle of the berry bushes, the photo is just a tangle of branches with the birds hidden inside. #

Beads of Diamonds. Bronze Winner, Attention to Detail. I spent some time in the Cariboo region of British Columbia photographing a very accommodating family of common loons. Using a boat with low sides and an electric motor, I was able to observe and photograph the birds without disrupting or affecting their behavior. As I floated in silence, I watched the parent divers feed leeches and tiny fish to their chick—just days old—and they were unconcerned by my presence. I was able to capture the moment this one surfaced with perfect lines of water droplets adorning its head from beak to neck. Then, when I looked closely, I noted that the reflection in its eye was a ruby mirror of the trees on the lake shoreline. #

Facing the Storm. Young Bird Photographer of the Year and Gold Winner, 14–17 Years. Last autumn I spent a week on the tiny North Sea island of Heligoland. The weather was quite bad and I didn’t see a single nice sunrise. However, the opportunity to observe all kind of shorebirds made up for the conditions. When I saw a group of dunlin struggling with a small sandstorm, I decided to risk my equipment and attempt to photograph them. I could really see on their faces how annoyed they were by the wind and sand flying everywhere. #

Gonzo. Silver Winner, Urban Birds. This image was taken in Transylvania in Romania, not far from one of my favorite Natura 2000 sites. Only rarely are there days when this protected area fails to deliver from a bird photography point of view. However, on such days I know I have a fall-back option—an abandoned building where little owls have nested for more than a decade. Last year, on one of these Plan B days, I arrived at the building following heavy rain and discovered that the little owl family had grown: three chicks had hatched a few weeks previously. To my relief, I was ‘welcomed’ by the whole family, and while four of them were drying their feathers on the roof, one of the chicks was under it, posing in an odd way and with what looked like an air of resignation. To my eyes, I could see a resemblance to Gonzo, the famous character from The Muppet Show. #

Puffin Love. Silver Winner, Best Portrait. As the morning sun glistens over the surface of the ocean below, a pair of Atlantic puffins stationed on a dramatic cliff edge reinforce the intimate bond that exists between them. Photographed in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. #

Hop, Skip, and Jump. Bronze Winner, 9–13 Years. There is a bird hide in the Western Ghats of India that has been installed specifically for observing and photographing parakeets. On the day I visited the site, there was good light, which was an encouraging sign. My aim was to get a sharp image of a bird in flight, and I was particularly keen to photograph a plum-headed parakeet. One landed on a crowded perch and, expecting it to fly away from the crowd, I tracked its movement and was able to capture this amazing moment. #

Free as a Bird. Bronze Winner, Birds in the Environment. This image shows a European shag as it flies over a huge wave, about 8 meters high, off the west coast of Asturias in northern Spain. #

Starling at Night. Silver Winner, Birds in Flight. This image was taken using a flash, with the camera in rear curtain synch mode. To attract the common starling, I placed some sunflower seeds in a feeder, and as the bird came towards the feeder, I timed the shot to capture its descent. Timing was critical, as was the need to balance the flash with the ambient light so you could see the trail of the starling while the flash ‘froze’ the bird in flight. #

Sunset. Bronze Winner, 14–17 Years. At the end of the day, this area of salt pans took on a beautiful, bright orange-red color. To take this photograph, I lay prone and motionless on a low ridge as there was nowhere else for me to hide. I lay there hoping that the birds would come into the basin just in front of me. Eventually, my dream came true and the birds finally arrived, right on cue to coincide with the gorgeous sunset light. #

Sleeping Beauty. Gold Winner, Attention to Detail. While most images of king penguins seem to be of striking adult birds, there is a definite cuteness to the chicks in their brown ‘teddy bear’ plumage. This chick was asleep at Volunteer Point in the Falkland Islands, and I took the opportunity to capture the details around the beak, eye, and ear, the latter seldom seen. #

Dueling on the Lek. Gold Winner, Bird Behavior. During the spring breeding season, male sage grouse gather on traditional lekking sites and often engage in short but violent fights. I set up my ground hide a safe distance from the lek a couple of days before the photo shoot. I entered my hide in the middle of the night, trying to sleep as best I could before the early-morning hours. At first light I awoke to booming sounds made by the male grouse, and the sight of their unusual display and this particular battle. Photographed in Colorado. #

Over the City. Gold Winner, Urban Birds. This image was taken from the rooftop of one of the towering skyscraper buildings that dominate the skyline of Abu Dhabi. It shows a line of greater flamingos flying on a morning when fog covered the city and the only signs of the urban landscape were the tops of the buildings emerging from the blanket of mist. At the time it seemed a bit like a fantasy, a fleeting moment made surreal as the birds unexpectedly flew past. #

Crazy. Silver Winner, Attention to Detail. This seemingly fearless western capercaillie was approaching people during lekking time and displaying his beautiful feathers and form. He wasn’t aggressive and seemed calm even while people looked on. As I knew that he resided in a forest near Stockholm, I took my macro lens with me to achieve this tight framing with the background created by his tail feathers. #

Pied Avocet Chick. Silver Winner, 14–17 Years. This photograph was taken at a soda lake called Nagyszéksós-tó, near the town of Mórahalom, Hungary. Kinskunság National Park introduced water buffaloes at least ten years ago, and the beneficial outcome has been that the birdlife has become very rich and diverse. Until now, I have only photographed adult birds at this location, but I managed to observe and photograph pied avocet chicks in early summer. #

The Doting Couple. Bronze Winner, Best Portrait. I have seen purple-crested turacos on hundreds of occasions and have always tried to take special photographs of them. They are such iconic African birds and are sought-after subjects. Unfortunately, they are shy characters and tend to avoid camera lenses. However, while birding in a small conservancy in the Lower Mpushini area near Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, my luck with them changed completely. Seemingly out of nowhere, this exquisite pair flew out from thick cover and landed a few meters in front of me while I was searching for African emerald cuckoos in the canopy. #

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