Bird on a Wire and other winning photos

The Chook Photographer of the Yr award has been introduced, with Canadian photographer Patricia Homonylo taking the highest prize for her thought-provoking picture When Worlds Collide.

The picture, taken in Toronto, beat greater than 23,000 entries to win.

This picture exhibits greater than 4,000 birds killed by hitting metropolis home windows and different reflective surfaces.

“In North America alone, greater than a billion birds are killed every year by collisions with home windows,” Homonillo mentioned.

“I’m a conservation photojournalist who has been concerned with the Lethal Mild Consciousness Challenge, which seeks to save lots of window collision survivors in Toronto.

“Sadly, many of the birds we discovered had been already lifeless.

“We collected them and created this impactful exhibition on the finish of the yr to commemorate the lives misplaced and lift public consciousness.”

Homonylo’s work was additionally one of many winners within the Conservation (Single Picture) class.

Andrés Luis Domínguez Blanco, a 14-year-old Spanish photographer, gained the 2024 Younger Chook Photographer of the Yr award for his artistic angle on a nuthatch climbing down an oak tree.

Photographers competed in eight totally different classes within the grownup competitors, together with Conservation, Portfolio and Movie Awards.

Beneath are a collection of pictures that gained a Gold, Silver or Bronze Award, together with an outline from the photographer.

“This peregrine chick has been flying for greater than per week, and his expertise are bettering day-to-day.

“Whereas he nonetheless will get meals from his dad and mom, he has begun working towards his looking expertise.

“He wasn’t expert sufficient to seize a dwell chook within the air, so he took small steps and chased a dancing butterfly.

“I’ve been photographing peregrine falcons for a few years and this was the primary time I noticed chicks taking part in with butterflies.”

“For a couple of weeks every year, black grouse collect in [the] On spring mornings, Leks interact in courtship and show.

“The males come down, every occupy their very own territory, and spend hours sizing one another up, charging at one another, and principally partaking in simulated fight.

“Sometimes, nonetheless, encounters escalate into precise fight.

“The warmth of a lone warrior steaming by the chilly air, I captured this whereas sitting in a small studio, reveling within the sounds and sights of this historic drama.”

“In the midst of winter, I marvel on the aerial ballet of backyard birds as they arrive to my bushes and benefit from the seeds I’ve sown for them.

“Rigorously hid, I attempted to immortalize their flight and their delicate trajectory utilizing flash and digicam in ‘rear curtain’ mode.

“I have to take a whole bunch of pictures to seize the right second, which depicts the fleeting magic of winter nature.”

“Right here we see three northern gannets diving into the ocean on a sunny day in Shetland.

“This species is Scotland’s largest seabird and they’re very adept within the water, able to diving to depths of as much as 22 metres.

“I took this picture whereas diving from a ship close to North, which has the seventh largest northern gannet colony within the UK.

“The chook inhabitants was once estimated at round 25,000, however sadly their numbers have been severely diminished on account of an outbreak of avian influenza.

“It’s unclear when or if their numbers will get better. Lifeless herring from native herring farms are used to draw birds to the boats.”

“This picture exhibits a white-headed grebe disappearing under the water’s floor to feed, reaching into the depths with its enormous paddle-like ft.

“I took this picture from a platform excessive above the wetland.

“With slightly creativeness, the mix of chook and ripples can appear to be a hippopotamus’ head.”

“One darkish evening in March, we had been on a safari returning to our camp in Sabi Sands, South Africa.

“We stopped and heard some uncommon noises, though unsure what they had been.

“Then we heard a chirping and flapping sound above our heads.

“When illuminated with automobile lights, we noticed these helmeted shrike huddled collectively at evening because it began to get colder.”

“The goose-footed sandpiper breeds in a park a couple of kilometer away from the Vistula River, the supply of life in Poland.

“As a result of lack of meals and security within the park, each mom should transfer her youngsters to the river as quickly as attainable.

“They handed by a collection of underpasses and a six-lane freeway.

“Yearly a bunch of volunteers assist them cross this lethal street by stopping site visitors.

“This picture exhibits a mom goose crossing a smaller street as a result of she determined to not use the scary and darkish underpass under.”

“This poignant picture captures the cruel actuality of a chook market in Bali.

“The lovebirds face one another in separate cages, seemingly saying goodbye, questioning if they may ever see one another once more.

“Who is aware of what pleasure they may expertise collectively within the lush native rainforest, and whether or not they may ever expertise it once more.

“Their silent connection transcends bodily boundaries, emphasizing the complicated interaction between the need for freedom and escaping the constraints of human pleasure.”

“I took this picture on a wonderful seaside on the Baltic Sea.

“There are a variety of waders and different birds right here, however there are additionally a variety of vacationers who come to benefit from the lovely surroundings.

“On this case, there was additionally a canine that originally didn’t discover the grey plover. Nonetheless, the grey plover did discover the canine and flew away shortly after I took the picture.

“Whereas I don’t consider this occasion has induced an excessive amount of stress on the birds, you will need to acknowledge the potential influence of human actions and tourism on protected species and their habitats.”

“Lake Feder is a well-known wintering place for a lot of migratory birds.

“From November to March, flounder are common guests to this lake.

“As soon as the lake freezes over, these uncommon birds retreat by the reeds into the ditches.

“Amazingly, this man was very near the boardwalk that runs by the character reserve.

“From there, I may simply watch its fishing motion and take tons of pictures.”