The 2026 Audubon Photography Awards: The Top 100

Digicam: Nikon Z8 with a Nikon NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens; 1/640 sec at f/4; ISO 400

Behind the Shot: Barely the dimensions of a tennis ball, the Northern Pygmy-Owl is without doubt one of the smallest owls on the planet and notoriously exhausting to identify. My good friend and I spent the day alongside the sting of a clear-cut forest—good looking grounds for the owls. We rigorously scanned the tree line with out a lot success. As sundown approached and we ready to depart, my good friend seen a small silhouette perched on a skinny twig towards a big trunk, briefly lit by the final golden gentle of the day. Tiny fungi dotted the bark, including texture to the scene. I managed to arrange my telephoto gear simply in time to seize the second, with rim gentle outlining the owl and the textured bark fading into forest shadow. It was a fleeting encounter, a kind of moments the place all the things aligns briefly and unexpectedly.

3. Sanderling by Sandeep Dhar

 Contest: United States and Canada

Picture Location: San Diego, California, United States

Digicam: Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens; 1/6400 sec at f/4; ISO 100

Behind the Shot: I shot this picture at daybreak utilizing a floor pod to realize an intimate, eye-level perspective of a foraging Sanderling flock. Moderately than freeze a single second, I needed to signify the continual, fast motion of the flock because it tracked incoming waves. I used an in-camera a number of publicity method, layering 9 sequential frames right into a single picture. To get what I needed, I needed to anticipate the second the entrance row lined up in a uniform course and catch the primary direct rays of sunshine in parallel to the digital camera sensor aircraft. I hope to convey the delicate fantastic thing about our coastal ecosystems and encourage the general public to guard these shorebirds. By showcasing a standard species with a inventive perspective, I need viewers to really feel the heartbeat of the coast simply as I did.

4. Mangrove Yellow Warbler by Cody Cianfrance

 Contest: United States and Canada

Picture Location: Washington-Slagbaai Nationwide Park, Bonaire

Digicam: Nikon Z8 with a Nikon NIKKOR Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S lens; 1/4000 sec at f/6.3; ISO 5600

Behind the Shot: I had by no means seen this many warblers in my life. A whole bunch of them gathered to feast on the plentiful flies dwelling amongst the mudflats. It’s not typically that you simply see a topic smaller than a warbler, so making this one look like a large among the many flies was my purpose. The toughest half was to foretell when the warblers would leap from the bottom into the air. In contrast to massive birds of prey or a wading chicken that provides some indication earlier than they take off, these warblers gave none, nor was there any sample I may acknowledge earlier than they jumped. I took hundreds of photographs and waited hours earlier than lastly attaining the shot that I assumed portrayed this warbler like a big predator.

5. Waved Albatross by Liron Gertsman

 Contest: United States and Canada

Picture Location: Galápagos, Ecuador

Digicam: Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 IS USM lens; 1/1600 sec at f/9; ISO 1600

Behind the Shot: Española Island is the first breeding website for the attractive Waved Albatross. These majestic birds return to the island every spring to search out their mate and produce life to the following technology. Whereas visiting the island throughout courtship season, I witnessed this pair allopreening and mating within the sundown gentle. Composing the picture with dark-shaded lava rocks within the background and exposing for the highlights, I aimed to attenuate distraction and produce the main target of the picture onto these stunning and affectionate birds. Waved Albatrosses are critically endangered, having undergone inhabitants decline which may be as a result of fishing impacts, together with bycatch, disturbance, and illness. 

6. Snowy Plover by Nan Li

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Huntington Seashore, California, United States

Digicam: Sony Alpha 1 with a Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and a Sony FE 1.4x Teleconverter; 1/2500 sec at f/4; ISO 640

Behind the Shot: I spent many summer season evenings scanning the sand for these small, spherical creatures. I’d lie low and keep completely nonetheless whereas ready for motion. On one late afternoon, I used to be about to pack up my gear after I seen a pair start their courtship ritual. Witnessing their mating dance for the primary time—with its rhythmic kicking and playful gestures—made me smile as I quietly dropped down and raised my digital camera. Seeing this threatened species interact in such a fragile, choreographed ritual was each uncommon and deeply shifting. I by no means tire of observing Snowy Plovers, and I really feel extremely lucky to have captured this intimate glimpse into their lives. With this picture, I hope to spark curiosity, encourage beachgoers to note these fragile birds, and encourage folks to guard their weak coastal habitat. 

7. White-crested Elaenia by Francisco Castro Carmona

Contest: Chile and Colombia

Picture Location: Ensenada, Los Lagos, Chile

Digicam: Nikon D3200 with a Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Up to date lens at 600mm; 1/1000 sec at f/6.3; ISO 800

Behind the shot: Every spring, White-crested Elaenias arrive from the Amazon to the world the place I stay. This spring particularly I seen that they had been continuously visiting a notro, a tree native to southern Chile, proper in entrance of my terrace to feed on its flowers. I instantly thought how stunning {a photograph} could be of considered one of them subsequent to those purple flowers, which they eat to replenish the energy misplaced on their lengthy journey. Since my digital camera doesn’t have a superb autofocus system, I pre-focused on this explicit department and settled in with loads of persistence. Lastly, after a pair afternoons of ready, a chicken perched for a second there, and I received my shot. After taking it, I seen that one of many chicken’s cheeks was stained purple by pollen, an sudden element that I feel makes the picture much more particular.

8. White-throated Toucan by Sebastián Di Domenico

Contest: Chile and Colombia

Picture Location: Palmarí Pure Reserve, Amazonas, Brazil

Digicam: Nikon D500 with a Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports activities lens; 1/400 sec at f/6; ISO 1600

Behind the shot: This was my second time on the Palmarí Nature Reserve, the place I used to be working as a volunteer. Since we didn’t have any guests, I made a decision to have lunch within the workplace in the back of the home, which is considerably open. Whereas I used to be consuming, this toucan landed on a close-by department with the bat nonetheless alive and making plenty of noise. I had heard about these birds’ predatory habits, however I had by no means seen it in individual, and it struck me. For a number of minutes, the toucan bashed the bat towards the branches. So I ran to get my digital camera, and the remainder is historical past!

9. Ring-necked Pheasant by Benjamin Neff

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Marshall County, Iowa, United States

Digicam: Canon EOS R7 with a Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens; 1/500 sec at f/7.1; ISO 400

Behind the Shot: A couple of years in the past, after I first began out in images, I took a photograph of a turkey between rows of corn. It wasn’t nice, however I appreciated the thought of photographing wildlife between crop rows to focus on Iowa’s wildlife having to adapt to a farming panorama. Two years later, I received one other likelihood and snapped this shot of a Ring-necked Pheasant. After spending hours each day going up and down the rows, I noticed three pheasants. This male paused for a cut up second and gave me the prospect to take his picture earlier than he continued strolling into the corn searching for meals. Whereas not native to the world, the birds have develop into an emblem of the Midwest since their introduction within the 1900s. Efforts to assist this gamebird profit all wildlife.

10. Sanderling by Kevin Lohman

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Moss Touchdown State Seashore, Moss Touchdown, California, United States

Digicam: Nikon Z9 with a Nikon NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens; 1/20 sec at f/7.1; ISO 90

Behind the Shot: Sanderlings are continuously in movement alongside the shoreline, working and flying in coordinated teams as they observe the altering rhythm of the surf. I watched this flock shifting backwards and forwards in a mesmerizing sample, repeatedly sweeping over the seashore after which turning again over the water. I needed to seize that feeling of movement moderately than freeze it, so I deliberately slowed my shutter velocity to 1/20 sec and hand-held a protracted lens whereas panning with the flock. Once I reviewed the photographs, this one introduced again the sensation I skilled whereas standing on the seashore. The blurred wings and softened waves convey motion and power, whereas the blue water contrasts with the birds. I hope the picture encourages folks to pause and recognize the wonder and coordination of even the small shorebirds that always race previous unnoticed.

11. Nice Egret by Briar Richard

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Napoleonville, Louisiana, United States

Digicam: Nikon Z9 with a Nikon NIKKOR Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens; 1/1800 sec at f/8; ISO 560

Behind the Shot: Roughly an hour earlier than sundown, as I paddled towards the Attakapas Touchdown on the southern financial institution of Lake Verret, I noticed a Nice Egret preening in bald cypress bushes. Golden hour gentle shone perpendicular to the shoreline, making a scene of sunshine and shadow. Utilizing the paddles to decelerate the kayak and purpose myself towards the egret, I took a sequence of images till momentum turned me away. It’s all the time particular to expertise sunsets at Lake Verret, which is a gorgeous Atchafalaya Basin Lake in south central Louisiana. Photographing wildlife there supplies a gorgeous backdrop of bald cypress bushes draped in thick Spanish moss in each course.

12. White-capped Dipper by Julián Felipe Arbeláez Aristizábal

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Close to Rio Blanco Pure Reserve, Caldas, Colombia

Digicam: Sony Alpha 6600 with a Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens at 600mm; 1/5000 sec at f/7.1; ISO 6400

Behind the shot: This picture is a part of a private problem: I needed to seize photographs that showcase the distinctive habitats of sure species with out making the birds the only real focus, whereas additionally retaining them from fading into the background. Within the case of this White-capped Dipper, I needed to focus on the riverbed and surrounding rocks the place the chicken makes its house. Not solely does the species nest there, it additionally feeds and strikes about with ease, trying to find small prey among the many rocks and beneath the water’s floor. This was a troublesome shot not solely as a result of capturing the dipper’s black-and-white tones is a problem, however as a result of the chicken’s motion and velocity aren’t predictable. However since I’m accustomed to the species’ habits, I positioned myself strategically to get the appropriate angle and eventually managed to {photograph} the dipper in its dynamic atmosphere.

13. Black-faced Grassquit Lorraine Minns

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Hartswell, Exuma, Bahamas

Digicam: Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 100-500mm F/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens; 1/320 sec at f/7.1; ISO 2500

Behind the Shot: I had a sprinkler working in my yard within the Bahamas, and the wonderful mist settled over the encircling vegetation. It was an particularly dry time of 12 months, and a wide range of birds got here to drink and bathe among the many moist leaves. The chicken that really captured my consideration was this feminine Black-faced Grassquit bathing in a palmetto palm leaf. I ran inside to seize my digital camera, and after I returned, she was sitting completely in the midst of the leaf. Each spring, a pair of grassquits visits my backyard, and I used to be thrilled to see her splashing away that day. A couple of days later, the male appeared as effectively, and that 12 months they nested within the backyard. It made the second much more particular to know that my yard had develop into a protected and welcoming place.

14. Many-colored Rush Tyrant by Ximena Vilches

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Batuco Wetlands, Santiago’s Metropolitan Area, Chile

Digicam: Canon EOS R7 with a Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens; 1/1250 sec at f/7.1; ISO 4000

Behind the shot: I used to be visiting the Batuco Wetlands within the spring, close to the walkways that stretch over the water. On either side of this construction stretch dense beds of reeds. That is the place Many-colored Rush Tyrants placed on an actual present: They dart backwards and forwards among the many vegetation, revealing themselves for just some seconds at a time. The principle problem for a photographer is to exactly observe the birds’ erratic actions. After watching this explicit chicken intently, I seen it saved to a comparatively small space, so I made a decision to take a seat and wait. Lastly, it paused for just some moments in an unobstructed spot. With this picture, I hope to convey the power and vitality of the wetlands in spring, and to focus on this species’ shut relationship with the reed beds, a habitat important for its feeding, shelter, replica, and nesting. 

15. Purple Sandpiper by Rachel Malone

 Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Barnegat Mild, New Jersey, United States

Digicam: Nikon Z8 with a Nikon NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens; 1/1250 sec at f/6.3; ISO 800

Behind the Shot: I like to go to Barnegat Lighthouse to see the assorted sea geese that winter there. On today, I made a decision to stroll out to the tip of the slippery jetty and spend a while with the shorebirds. I discovered the Purple Sandpipers very photogenic as they stood sturdy and unbothered towards the frigid ocean water crashing over the rocks. I feel this {photograph} illustrates how powerful this species is.

16. California Condor by Rebecca Whittaker

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Pinnacles Nationwide Park, Paicines, California, United States

Digicam: Nikon Z8 with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens and Nikon FTZ II Mount Adapter; 1/2500 sec at f/7.1; ISO 7200

Behind the Shot: Hoping to {photograph} a California Condor, I carried my gear up the Excessive Peaks path. I noticed a condor pair atop a pinnacle, necks entwined, distant inexperienced mountains behind them. Later I watched them soar. On my method down, I witnessed the present of a lifetime. Partly hidden, in a small pool of water, the very pair I noticed earlier took turns bathing, exchanging quiet seems and delicate touches. After they completed, the feminine preened. By way of my lens I may see the deep orange, purple, yellow, and white of her face clearly. This picture is my method of sharing a window into their lives within the hopes that extra folks can see how fortunate we’re to stay amongst them. Thanks to everybody who has labored, or is working, to guard these magnificent birds. I can’t think about a world with out them.

17. Andean Cock-of-the-Rock by Juan Daniel Mejía Arango

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Jardín, Antioquia, Colombia

Digicam:  Canon EOS R6 Mark II with a Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Up to date lens; 1/1600 sec at f/7; ISO 1600

Behind the shot: There are a number of websites the place Andean Cocks-of-the-Rock collect throughout the breeding season in Antioquia. The Jardín de Rocas (actually: rock backyard) Nature Reserve, close to the city of Jardín, is considered one of them. One afternoon this January I arrived there to {photograph} the species. I knew there was a rocky canyon with a ravine and a very overgrown space with dense vegetation that blocks out the sunshine, particularly within the late afternoon. I used to be there when a ray of sunshine started to shine by the tree branches, and from my vantage level, I noticed the silhouette of an grownup male. For just some moments, the chicken’s place, my place, and the course of the sunbeam all aligned, permitting me to seize {a photograph} I had dreamed of for years.

18. Purple-headed Woodpecker by Zachary Raymond Vaughan

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: North Park, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States

Digicam: Sony Alpha 1 II with a Sony FE 600mm F/4 GM OSS lens; 1/640 sec at f/4; ISO 800

Behind the Shot: A couple of 12 months and a half in the past, Purple-headed Woodpeckers arrived in a park in my county. I frequented the park for a number of days, ready for an opportunity to {photograph} these superb birds. In the future, one of many adults flew into a close-by tree. I took a number of steps ahead when abruptly the chicken flew down and landed instantly in entrance of me. I bent down, raised my digital camera, and started taking pictures. The woodpecker then hopped ahead a number of extra toes and plucked a juicy earthworm out of the leaf litter uncovered by melting snow. I didn’t know this species foraged on this method, however this clearly wasn’t its first worm! It smacked the worm on the bottom a number of instances then flew into a close-by tree to take pleasure in its meal. This {photograph} captures an intriguing habits of a chicken in steep decline. 

19. Least Sandpiper by Jameson Hawkins-Kimmel

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Kalispell, Montana, United States

Digicam: Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens and a UV filter; 1/2000 sec at f/7.1; ISO 640

Behind the Shot: I captured this picture at golden hour alongside the muddy shoreline of a small wetland. Throughout migration, it turns into a brief refuge for shorebirds, and this Least Sandpiper was rigorously feeding on the water’s edge. To get the low, intimate perspective, I crawled by thick mud and shallow water as mosquitoes swarmed, retaining myself practically eye-level with the chicken whereas not disturbing it. Ultimately, the sandpiper relaxed and continued to feed only some toes away. In that temporary window, the gentle golden gentle, nonetheless water, and low angle aligned to create the picture. What makes this {photograph} particularly significant is that it was taken in a wetland restoration space that our household has labored exhausting to guard and enhance for wildlife. Seeing migrating birds like this Least Sandpiper cease and thrive there has made each muddy afternoon price it.

20. Andean Condor by Timothy Dhalleine

Contest:  Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Cerro Benítez, Magallanes and the Chilean Antarctic, Chile

Digicam: Nikon Z6 with a Nikon NIKKOR Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR lens; 1/1250 sec at f/6.3; ISO 100

Behind the Shot: Behind this {photograph} lies a quiet winter day in 2022, excessive up within the Chilean mountains. Dozens of condors flew overhead because the wind whistled by their wings, and in my 3-year-old daughter’s eyes, I noticed nothing however marvel. With a wingspan of practically 10 toes, the Andean Condor is without doubt one of the largest flying birds on the planet. And though it nonetheless flies freely in Patagonia, it has already disappeared from some components of South America as a result of habitat fragmentation. 

21. Buller’s Albatross by Sergio Trucco

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Salas y Gómez Ridge, Valparaíso, Chile

Digicam: Nikon D850 with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 180-400mm f/4E TC1.4 FL ED VR lens; 1/2500 sec at f/4.5; ISO 800

Behind the shot: We set sail from Valparaíso aboard the Chilean Navy’s analysis vessel Cabo de Hornos on a 31-day expedition alongside the Salas y Gómez Ridge. It’s a distinctive ecological hall stretching practically 1,800 miles that connects the mainland coast with Rapa Nui and Motu Motiro Hiva, fashioned by greater than 110 volcanic seamounts. On the time I took this {photograph}, we had been crusing for 10 days and had simply weathered a storm. Albatrosses had been hovering by the air at nice velocity, and fleeting rainbows appeared between gusts, rising and fading to the rhythm of the ocean. For a short second, birds, ocean, and rainbow got here collectively in good concord. What stays of that instantaneous is that this {photograph}.

22. Steely-vented Hummingbird by Kristhian Castro

Contest: Chile and Colombia

Picture Location: Close to Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia

Digicam: Sony Alpha 6600 with a Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens at 600mm; 1/5000 sec at f/7.1; ISO 6400

Behind the shot: Ever since I planted many hummingbird-friendly flowering vegetation, my balcony has develop into the territory of a Steely-vented Hummingbird. Throughout the low season, when few flowers are blooming, I exploit a small feeder I constructed to make up for the shortage of meals. For a while now, I’ve seen that in heavy rains this hummingbird will perch on considered one of its lookout branches, seeming to benefit from the water. I used to be fascinated by the grace of its bathing ritual and determined to {photograph} it. I devoted as a lot time as I may to this venture over the course of a 12 months and, within the course of, I discovered to anticipate its actions in an try to seize the precise second when the hummingbird shook off the water clinging to its feathers. On this picture, I used to be fortunate sufficient to seize that instantaneous.

23. King Vulture by Gilder Esteban González-Montenegro

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Alto Amurrupá Particular Ethnic Administration Space, Risaralda, Colombia

Digicam: Nikon D7500 with a Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Up to date lens at 600mm; 1/1600 sec at f/6.3; ISO 2000

Behind the shot: A lifeless horse attracted a lot of vultures, most of which perched on a close-by tree. Once I arrived, the carcass had already been nearly completely devoured, so all of the King Vultures—which assert precedence when feeding—had been within the tree, whereas about 20 Black Vultures had been nonetheless feeding on the bottom. Getting this {photograph} was very significant to me as a result of regardless of having visited this location many instances, I had not been capable of doc the species. Having the ability to see so a lot of them of their regal stance was very rewarding, as was capturing their magnificence as they landed.

24. Andean Emerald by David Broner

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Cuchilla de los Santa, Caldas, Colombia

Digicam: Sony Alpha 7C with a Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens and Sony FE 2x Teleconverter at 400mm; 1/1600 sec at f/6.3; ISO 2500

Behind the shot: I used to be making an attempt to seize the proper geometry of a tree fern in Colombia’s Andean rainforest. From my vantage level, its fronds ceased to be leaves and reworked into inexperienced mountains, with ridges, depth, and a texture that appeared sculpted by time. The sunshine was gentle, filtered by the mist, and sustaining the sharpness of the scene in such low gentle was difficult. I had been fine-tuning the composition for a number of minutes when, and not using a sound, a blue-violet flash appeared on the high of the “panorama.” The hummingbird arrived so shortly that it appeared to materialize out of nowhere. It remained immobile for just some seconds, however that was sufficient to seize its presence in a picture. This {photograph} invitations us to acknowledge that, in nature, the small can tackle an immense dimension after we look intently.

25. Purple-crowned Woodpecker by Camilo Sanabria Grajales

Contest: Chile and Colombia

Picture Location: Jamundí, Valle del Cauca, Colombia

Digicam: Canon EOS R7 with a Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Up to date lens at 484mm; 1/4000 sec at f/6.3; ISO 3200

Behind the shot: We had been close to the freeway connecting Jamundí to town of Cali, on a birdwatching outing as a part of the Colombia Birdfair, an occasion that brings collectively birders from all around the nation. At one level the group I used to be with walked forward as a result of they needed to search for sure chicken species in a close-by wetland. I stayed behind, intrigued by a motion in a tree that I couldn’t fairly make out. Once I received nearer, I lastly noticed what was taking place: a Purple-crowned Woodpecker was working tirelessly to hole out a gap within the tree to construct its nest. With this picture, I needed to seize the perseverance of this chicken in a scene that feels pure and wild.

26. Lesser Horned Owl by Omar Barroso Putare

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Navarino Island, Magallanes and the Chilean Antarctic, Chile

Digicam: Nikon D750 with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens at 500mm; 1/640 sec at f/7.1; ISO 800

Behind the shot: For weeks my routine consisted of grabbing my digital camera and venturing right into a patch of forest with a single purpose: to search out these Lesser Horned Owl siblings. Since this species blends in completely with its environment, most days I returned house empty-handed. However I used to be studying, little by little, to see the forest by totally different eyes. Ultimately my persistence paid off. I had the privilege of watching them develop from the second they left their nest, observing how they waited collectively for his or her mother and father to return with meals. On the day I captured this picture, witnessing the pair pressed so shut collectively moved me deeply. These two feathered creatures had been searching for affection and caring for each other, and this second of untamed tenderness stays etched in my reminiscence.

27. Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager by Camilo Escobar Carbonari

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Cortaderal Farm, Risaralda, Colombia

Digicam: Nikon D500 with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens; 1/2500 sec at f/5.6; ISO 2000

Behind the shot: I got here throughout this Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager in a blended flock within the excessive Andean forest—one of the threatened ecosystems within the Colombian mountains—whereas on a bunch birding outing. It perched on the dry leaf of a tree on the fringe of a ravine to survey its environment and plan the following strikes in its feeding frenzy. It was round midday, so photographing it was a problem as a result of intense gentle. Though this comparatively widespread chicken might seem darkish, from a sure angle and with sufficient gentle, its purple stomach and blue wing feathers develop into seen. I used to be capable of seize that angle. I need this picture to attract consideration to the significance of the excessive Andean forest, a key ecosystem for local weather regulation and the birthplace of rivers and creeks.

28. Frequent Tern by Daniel Cherel

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Level Nice Seashore, New Jersey

Digicam: Nikon D810 with Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens; 1/2000 sec at f/7.1; ISO 640 

Behind the Shot: Frequent Terns are very territorial and can get into fast skirmishes within the sky over seashore actual property. We’re fortunate right here on the Jersey Shore, the place terns cease for the summer season to nest, their seashore fenced off for defense. To get this picture, I climbed the jetty rocks and walked out to a degree removed from the protected zone the place I may {photograph} the birds as they left the sand to dive into the ocean for meals for his or her younger. I like getting motion photographs of their air battles.

29. Whooper Swan by Yoshiki Nakamura

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan

Digicam: Nikon Z9 with a Nikon NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens; 1/4 sec at f/32; ISO 50

Behind the Shot: On a nonetheless February morning, I photographed a small flock of Whooper Swans flying throughout a shadowed hillside shortly after dawn. To convey not solely the looks of the swans but in addition the sensation of their motion, I used a gradual shutter velocity of 1/4 second and panned with the flock as they crossed the body. The birds continuously modified their velocity and spacing, so exact synchronization was practically unattainable. Moderately than preventing that unpredictability, I embraced it. The lengthy publicity reworked their wingbeats into flowing ribbons of white, layering movement and rhythm into the picture. The {photograph} grew to become much less about documentation and extra about sensation, flight dissolving into gentle and gesture. I hoped to create a picture that feels nearer to music or choreography than to a literal file of wildlife, whereas staying rooted within the pure fantastic thing about the swans and their winter habitat.

30. Snow Petrel by Nadia Haq

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Fournier Bay, Antarctica

Digicam: Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens; 1/800 sec at f/16; ISO 640

Behind the Shot: Throughout an inflatable boat experience in Fournier Bay, my household and I marveled on the measurement of the enormous icebergs floating round us. Snow Petrels dangle round these icebergs as a result of the chilly surfaces function resting platforms and the encircling water is wealthy in krill, fish, and squid. I used to be actually excited when a Snow Petrel made a short look because it flew by one of many huge icebergs, catching the sunshine in its pale feathers. The chicken seems small beside the iceberg’s sculpted face, principally darkish however catching faint gentle alongside the ridge. The sturdy distinction between the illuminated snow and deep shadows captures the dramatic, minimalist environment of Antarctica. I used to be lucky to catch a picture of this coveted chicken in its icy atmosphere.

31. Coscoroba Swan by Cristián Larrere Wörner

Contest: Chile and Colombia

Picture Location: Talcahuano, Bío Bío, Chile

Digicam: Sony Alpha 7R IV with a Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens at 600mm; 1/800 sec at f/8; ISO 2000

Behind the shot: This {photograph} was taken throughout considered one of my common outings to look at and doc wildlife close to my house, town of Talcahuano. As I used to be strolling alongside the coast I got here throughout a bunch of Coscoroba Swans resting on a drainage pipe that discharges industrial waste from fishing operations instantly into the ocean. The scene instantly struck me due to the stark visible and symbolic distinction: the magnificence and purity of those birds set towards a construction related to the air pollution generated by human exercise. As I noticed the swans’ association, I spotted that if I rigorously positioned myself, I may visually reinforce this juxtaposition between nature and environmental degradation. I moved nearer slowly till I discovered the precise perspective and took the shot.

32. White-tailed Kite and Chimango Caracara by Cristián Larrere Wörner

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Talcahuano–Penco Interport Route, Bío Bío, Chile

Digicam: Sony Alpha 7R IV with a Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens at 600mm; 1/1000 sec at f/6.3; ISO 1600

Behind the shot: I used to be birding close to my home after I noticed a White-tailed Kite perched within the distance and determined to get nearer to {photograph} the elegant chicken of prey. Whereas I used to be nonetheless fairly far-off, the chicken took flight instantly towards me, and solely then did I understand that its intention was to harass a Chimango Caracara perched on a shrub. I managed to border the shot and begin a burst of photographs simply because the birds clashed mid-air. On the decisive second—which lasted solely a second—the caracara twisted its physique, hanging the other way up and spreading its legs to fend off the kite. It was a stroke of luck to seize this tense composition, which displays each the power and magnificence of nature.

33. Peruvian Pelican by Álvaro Mancilla

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Caleta Pichidangui,  Coquimbo, Chile

Digicam: Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 600mm f/4L IS II USM lens; 1/200 sec at f/11; ISO 100

Behind the shot: This {photograph} was taken on the central coast of Chile, the place the chilly, nutrient-rich waters of the Humboldt Present maintain massive populations of pelagic fish, like anchovies, sardines, and jurel, the idea of Peruvian Pelicans’ weight loss program. From a distance, I watched the birds collect tightly collectively alongside the shore. What caught my consideration was the social structure of the group: dozens of people stacked right into a single dwelling type, their lengthy payments crossing in each course, like a sculptural lattice. I used a lens that allowed me to emphasise how every chicken is a definite particular person, but inseparable from the others round it. For me, the picture displays the gregarious nature of Peruvian Pelicans, expressed by an nearly sculptural composition of feathers, textures, and patterns.

34. Purple-winged Blackbird by Dotty Doherty

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Bosque del Apache Nationwide Wildlife Refuge, San Antonio, New Mexico, United States

Digicam: Nikon Z9 with a Nikon NIKKOR Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens; 1/2000 sec at f/8; ISO 10000

Behind the Shot: I went to Bosque del Apache Nationwide Wildlife Refuge to see the Sandhill Cranes. We birded there for 3 days, and on our final afternoon, we seen an enormous flock of blackbirds within the distance, however my photographs confirmed solely black silhouettes towards the overcast sky. We stopped to take a look at cranes and geese, and the blackbirds settled into the grasses. Two minutes later, the entire flock launched into the air, and I lay on the shutter. They rose and dipped in an exhilarating murmuration. Then they had been gone. I hoped I received some photographs worthy of the spectacle. I nailed it. Each Purple-winged Blackbird was not solely in focus, their outstretched wings and tails created a mesmerizing sample. I’d come to {photograph} the cranes, however it was this flock of widespread birds that earned a spot on the wall.

35. Kelp Gull by Marcelo Cuevas Ormazábal

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Choros Island, Coquimbo, Chile

Digicam: Canon EOS Insurgent T6 with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens at 53mm; 1/200 sec at f/9; ISO 100 

Behind the shot: This {photograph} was taken on trip on the Humboldt Penguin Nationwide Reserve. As a part of the journey, we took a ship to the reserve and hiked alongside the paths on Choros Island, with very restricted time to discover and {photograph} the world. As we made our method alongside the path, I noticed this Kelp Gull perched quietly among the many cacti, a scene that instantly caught my consideration. I managed to border the gull in a method that conveys a way of isolation and adaptation to the island’s arid coastal atmosphere. For me, this picture represents wildlife’s potential to inhabit excessive environments—and the wonder, resilience, and uniqueness that characterizes the ecosystems of northern Chile.

36. Brief-eared Owl by Devon Pradhuman

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Skagit Valley, Washington, United States

Digicam: Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 600mm F/4L IS USM lens; 1/3200 sec at f/4; ISO 1600

Behind the Shot: Rising up in New York, I devoted numerous hours to watching Brief-eared Owls skim over winter fields and dreamt of photographing their sudden collisions. After shifting to Seattle, I felt compelled to hunt out West Coast “shorties” and doc the behaviors widespread to the species throughout its big selection. These owls swooped down and clashed with each other so shortly that it took plenty of focus to maintain them within the viewfinder. Skagit Valley stays one of many area’s vital wintering grounds for Brief-eared Owls, providing the open area and prey-rich habitat that these nomadic birds depend on. But the grasslands the place these birds carry out their aerial duels are shrinking, and Brief-eared Owls are in decline throughout North America. In each wingbeat, these owls inform us that safeguarding open areas isn’t just about conserving habitat—it’s about preserving the tales and spectacles that outline the pure world. 

37. Andean Condor by Hernan Jaramillo Ramírez

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Cócora Valley, Quindío, Colombia

Digicam: Canon EOS R6 with a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens at 400mm; 1/2000 sec at f/8.0; ISO 400

Behind the shot: I arrived within the valley on a chilly, grey, and really foggy day. The wax palm, considered one of Colombia’s most endangered species, grows on this valley. Out of the blue, I noticed this condor approaching, and I instantly switched my lens to a telephoto. It was a short sighting; the chicken circled about thrice earlier than disappearing once more into the dense mountain fog. It was an exquisite expertise, because it’s not simple to see condors flying overhead. I managed to seize the precise second when two of Colombia’s most iconic nationwide symbols—the Andean condor and the wax palm—got here collectively in a scene stuffed with thriller and serenity.

38. Big Hummingbird by Eduardo Muñoz Orellana

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Santo Domingo, Valparaíso, Chile

Digicam: Nikon D7500 with a Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Up to date lens at 600mm; 1/1250 sec at f/7.1; ISO 800

Behind the shot: The day I took this {photograph}, I used to be out for a stroll with my accomplice in a coastal area that’s house to a system of 13 our bodies of water. We had been birding alongside some ravines after we handed by native shrubs, the place I heard the decision of a Big Hummingbird. I seemed round and located it perched on the tip of a department, resting and observing its environment. I approached it cautiously, and from its feathers, I may inform it was nonetheless a juvenile. After I took a few photographs, the hummingbird started to stretch earlier than withdrawing, and that’s after I took this image. The ensuing picture conveys a way of peace and vulnerability to me, because the chicken’s delicate posture contrasts with the power that sometimes characterizes this species, revealing the serene fantastic thing about the world’s largest hummingbird. 

39. Inexperienced Heron by Joshua Zhou

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Mills Pond at Wells Department, Austin, Texas, United States

Digicam: Canon EOS R6 with a Canon EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens and a Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R; 1/400 sec at f/6.3; ISO 1250

Behind the Shot: It was a brilliant, sunny morning at this neighborhood pond, and people and birds alike got here out to benefit from the stunning spring day. This Inexperienced Heron was foraging alongside the perimeter of the pond, pausing briefly ever so typically to gaze out in direction of the water searching for potential prey. I used to be additionally standing on the pond’s edge admiring the view after I seen the stealthy chicken slowly creeping in direction of me. Performing shortly, I received right into a susceptible place to get eye-level with the heron and pointed my digital camera at a small patch of rocks a pair paces in entrance of the chicken with a gorgeous spiderweb hanging above. When the chicken lastly turned its gaze from the water, I received this shot of it peering by the hole, as if posing intensely for the digital camera.

40. Rufous Hummingbird by Claire Beiser

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Scudder Pond Protect, Bellingham, Washington, United States

Digicam: Sony Alpha 1 with a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens; 1/2000 sec at f/4; ISO 3200

Behind the Shot: Each spring I look ahead to the return of the Rufous Hummingbirds that journey all the best way from Mexico to the northern Pacific Northwest. In the future in Might, I took my digital camera and lengthy lens to a close-by nature protect the place this male perched on some small branches within the shade close to a pond. I had to make use of a gradual shutter velocity due to the low gentle. When he flew to a department with a lovely inexperienced background, I took this one fortunate shot the place I captured his head and most of his tail sharply. I’ve taken many photographs of hummingbirds perched or hovering at flowers, however this was the one time I’ve been capable of get a shot of 1 in such an fascinating place. The shiny gorget was a bonus.

41. American Barn Owl by Mylthon Jiménez-Castillo

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Cabo Blanco Space, Los Ríos, Chile

Digicam: Nikon D500 with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens; 1/640 sec at f/5.6; ISO 5000

Behind the shot: My spouse and I had been birding at our favourite spot. We spent hours taking footage of varied species, together with our “good friend” Nuco, a Brief-eared Owl that frequents the world. Simply as we had been about to move house, Carolina stated to me, “There’s Nuco once more!” However our hearts skipped a beat when it flew proper in entrance of us and we realized it was an American Barn Owl. It hunted above the bushes for some time and disappeared into the grove. We waited fairly some time till it reappeared, looking once more. We loved the present till it headed towards a big oak tree. There, the scene was like one thing out of a fairy story, so I leaned towards a fencepost to regular my lens. I held my breath, and after a number of photographs, I managed to get this stunning picture.

42. Sooty Grouse by Sean Neilson

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Gustavus, Alaska

Digicam: Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens; 1/2000 sec at f/8; ISO 640

Behind the Shot: I used to be driving down a quiet street when a flash of motion caught my eye: a feminine grouse herding her brood throughout the pavement. I pulled over, grabbed my digital camera, and hustled again, dropping flat onto the asphalt in the midst of the street to get right down to chick stage. The attitude was all the things; I needed the viewer to really feel the huge expanse of pavement the best way this tiny chicken should expertise it. One after the other the chicks scurried throughout on legs no greater than toothpicks. I caught the ultimate chick mid-stride as soon as it hit the centerline. These birds should run this gauntlet a number of instances a day. Fortuitously for me, and extra importantly, these birds, Gustavus is a small city with comparatively little site visitors. Sadly, this isn’t the case in so many different locations.

43. Magnificent Frigatebird by Liron Gertsman

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: San Blas, Nayarit, Mexico

Digicam: Canon EOS R5 with a Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM lens with Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R; 5 sec at f/1.8; ISO 10000

Behind the Shot: I spent a number of nights tenting on a distant island that’s house to tens of hundreds of Magnificent Frigatebirds. I timed my journey for when there could be little to no moonlight within the evening sky, permitting the celebs to shine at their brightest. The Milky Approach could be most seen within the early morning hours, so I received out of my tent at 2:30 a.m. on a transparent evening. Recognizing a frigatebird that was awake and preening its feathers, I framed a composition with the Milky Approach within the background. After I had sat quietly and immobile behind my digital camera for fairly some time, the frigatebird took off and I managed to seize it throughout a five-second-long publicity, producing a ghostly impact on the chicken, its unfold wings framed properly by roosting frigatebirds in entrance of the starry evening sky. 

44. Willet by William Nicholas Edwards

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Virginia Seashore, Virginia, United States

Digicam: Fujifilm X-H2S with a Fujifilm XF 150-600mm f/5.6-8 R LM OIS WR lens; 1/250 sec at f/10; ISO 2500

Behind the Shot: Early one morning whereas on trip, I stepped onto my resort balcony to verify the climate and seen two Willets shifting alongside the shoreline. The moist sand mirrored the dawn gentle whereas waves rolled in. I grabbed my digital camera, and for a second the birds, shadows, surf, and lightweight all aligned. What drew me to the second was the distinction between the power of the ocean and the calm, regular motion of the birds as they foraged alongside the water’s edge. From above, their shadows grew to become a part of the composition and helped emphasize the size and stillness of the scene. I take pleasure in photographs that present birds as half of a bigger atmosphere moderately than as remoted topics. For me, this {photograph} displays a quiet second that many individuals may overlook whereas strolling the seashore within the early morning.

45. Kelp Gull by Jean Paul De la Harpe Z.

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Cachagua Seashore, Valparaíso, Chile

Digicam: Sony Alpha 1 with a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens; 1/4000 sec at f/4; ISO 640

Behind the shot: In the future in Might 2025 I visited this seashore, which is well-known for being house to a big colony of Humboldt Penguins. Though my intention was to {photograph} that species, as I walked alongside the seashore, I handed by a big group of birds feeding among the many sedimentary rocks and intertidal swimming pools that seem at low tide. I spent fairly some time photographing this spectacle till a Kelp Gull appeared simply behind a rock, holding a starfish in its beak. The chicken spent a while smashing the starfish towards the rocks till it dislodged and shortly swallowed considered one of its arms. All of this caught the eye of different gulls, which started to strategy, in all probability to grab the prey away. The chicken, with out hesitation, took flight to complete its meal elsewhere. 

46. Buffy Helmetcrest by Sergio Andrés Dueñas Trejo

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Los Nevados Nationwide Pure Park, Colombia

Digicam: Nikon D850 with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 180-400mm f/4E TC1.4 FL ED VR lens; 1/2500 sec at f/4.5; ISO 800

Behind the shot: I wakened early, trying ahead to taking photographs and birding within the alpine grasslands of the páramo, considered one of Colombia’s most important—and most threatened—ecosystems. The climate circumstances, the excessive altitude, and thick clouds blanketing the panorama made for difficult circumstances, however for hours, together with two different birders, I held out for the Buffy Helmetcrests. We knew that the species normally fed within the space we had been visiting, however it wasn’t till the climate improved that we may hear them approaching. Two of the hummingbirds arrived, and whereas the opposite two photographers targeted on the male, I devoted myself to the feminine, captivated by her flight between high-Andean wildflowers and her unwavering composure. These are birds that possess extra than simply putting colours, they’ve a historical past and a function throughout the ecosystem.  To witness them was a real present from nature after months of planning.

47. Wild Turkey by Parham Pourahmad

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Stanford, California, United States

Digicam: Nikon Z8 with a Nikon NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens; 1/1250 sec at f/9; ISO 1400

Behind the Shot: I seen a feminine Wild Turkey strolling within the grass whereas I used to be climbing, a reasonably typical scene to see within the space. I quickly seen, nonetheless, that there was motion within the grass under her: a bunch of chicks. I instantly acknowledged the picture alternative, because the chicks had been very cute and would quickly cross the path in entrance of me. Whereas planning my composition, I considered a earlier Audubon Pictures Award-winning picture displaying a Sandhill Crane colt strolling with its mom, with solely the toes of the mom seen. I made a decision to strive the identical factor with the turkeys. As this younger turkey ran by its mom, I framed it with the mom’s legs.

48. Frequent Raven by Liron Gertsman

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Banff Nationwide Park, Alberta, Canada

Digicam: Canon EOS R5 with a Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM lens with Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R; 1/2500 sec at f/4; ISO 100

Behind the Shot: I spent every week climbing within the mountains of western Canada looking for and {photograph} an elusive mountain chicken, the White-tailed Ptarmigan. Whereas I didn’t have any success with ptarmigan, I did see Frequent Ravens, one other of the few chicken species that may survive winter within the excessive alpine atmosphere. Ravens are spectacular birds, as are the environments they stay in. In direction of the tip of my journey, I nonetheless hadn’t captured any photographs I used to be proud of. That modified after I noticed a raven sitting in the midst of the snow with a gorgeous mountain backdrop. I placed on a wide-angle lens and started photographing within the freezing temperatures. As I watched, I noticed a second raven flying in and took a sequence of photographs. This was my favourite.

49. Black-legged Kittiwake by Joey Johnson

Contest: United States and Canada

Picture Location: Glacier Bay, Alaska, United States

Digicam: Sony Alpha 1 with a Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VC VXD G2 lens; 1/320 sec at f/14; ISO 400

Behind the Shot: This picture was made throughout a cruise by Alaska, the place we spent a lot of someday touring by Glacier Bay. Because the ship handed by the bay, floating icebergs drifted by in putting shapes and colours. Whereas I photographed them, I seen one coated with birds. On the time I didn’t know that they had been kittiwakes. What struck me most was how unbothered they had been by the big ship passing close by. They weren’t feeding or displaying mating habits, they had been simply resting collectively on the ice on a gorgeous spring day. This was my first time seeing these birds, and the expertise led me to be taught extra about them after I zoomed in on the picture and recognized them.

50. Sanderling by Felipe Hurtado

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Marbella Seashore, near the mouth of the Maipo River, Valparaíso, Chile

Digicam: Canon EOS R50 with a Canon EF 70-300 F/4-5.6L IS II USM lens with a Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R; 1/4000 sec at f/8; ISO 500

Behind the shot: I used to be strolling alongside Marbella Seashore in Santo Domingo, hoping to benefit from the surroundings and the sunshine of the sundown, in an space the place lots of or hundreds of Sanderlings arrive from North America each summer season. All of a sudden, I noticed a bunch flying towards me, so I took benefit of the truth that my digital camera was already set to a quick shutter velocity and a comparatively small aperture to take sundown photographs—so the solar wouldn’t overexpose the picture—and snapped a burst of photographs. Due to this luck, I used to be capable of seize the shorebirds in mid-flight after they’d traveled hundreds of miles. 

51. Nice Egret by Hugo Portus Lazo

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Aconcagua River close to Concón, Valparaíso, Chile

Digicam: Canon EOS R5 with a Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Up to date lens at 531 mm; 1/3200 sec at f/6.3; ISO 1250

Behind the shot: I like nature photographer Eduardo Blanco Mendizaval significantly. His venture “1 km de biodiversidad” (1 km of biodiversity), which he carried out throughout the COVID-19 quarantine, left an enduring impression on me. The venture, which invitations us to {photograph} what’s near us, impressed me to {photograph} the birds that go to a river close to my house. I took this picture in early April, when the water stage was low. Mendacity among the many rocks, I watched two egrets land to feed, and I crawled by the river till I used to be shut sufficient to get a superb shot. I waited for an hour, and after they’d eaten and preened themselves, I captured the moment when considered one of them took flight. I hope this picture exhibits that magnificence is nearer than we expect. We simply must search for it.

52. Sandhill Crane by Jeffrey Z. Carney

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Platte River, Nebraska 

Digicam: Sony Alpha 1 with a Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 lens at 35mm; 1/250 sec at f/8; ISO 2000

Behind the Shot: I host images workshops alongside the Platte River, and final 12 months my brother-in-law and sister-in-law requested if I’d keep an additional day to information them. That they had by no means seen Nebraska’s spring Sandhill Crane migration earlier than, so we met on the Crane Belief headquarters, went to considered one of their images blinds, arrange, and waited. It was late within the season, and I used to be involved with what number of would come again to roost. One other hour handed, and lightweight was working out when hundreds of cranes started to return. The journey was particular as a result of my sister-in-law Judy is coping with most cancers, and the superb spectacle of nature on full show made us all cry and hug. 

53. American Oystercatcher by Cristóbal Muñoz V.

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: San Jerónimo Wetland, Valparaíso, Chile

Digicam: Canon EOS R5 with a Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD lens at 600mm; 1/2000 sec at f/6.3; ISO 640

Behind the shot: An extended day I’d spent strolling by the assorted wetlands in Algarrobo was nearing its finish. I used to be nearly to move house after I noticed this oystercatcher taking a shower on the fringe of the wetland. The chicken appeared carefree, bathing with ease and freedom, spreading its wings as if it had been dancing for my digital camera. Past the technical elements, this picture represents one thing private—that sudden second that occurs simply once you assume the day is over. For me, it’s a reminder that nature all the time has one thing extra to supply if we’re keen to look at with persistence and pause for just some extra seconds. I hope this {photograph} conveys that intimate connection we share with the simplicity of animal life, and that it invitations others to pause, ponder, and recognize these fragile ecosystems.

54. Snowy Egret by Juan David Camacho Márquez

Contest: Chile and Colombia

Picture Location: Lago de las Garzas, Valle del Cauca, Colombia

Digicam: Sony Alpha 6700 with a Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens; 1/2000 sec at f/7.1; ISO 1250

Behind the shot: Final 12 months a bunch of birdwatchers known as the Membership Amigos de la Herradura organized a sequence of area journeys for youths who’re normally unable to spend a lot time birding as a result of armed battle of their area. The initiative was organized in partnership with Colombia Birdfair, the Valle de Cauca Ornithological Society (Dacnis), and Bosque de Niebla Birding and Nature. On considered one of these outings, we determined to go to a lake in the midst of town of Cali, which is house to all kinds of species. Partway by the day, we noticed a bunch of Snowy Egrets resting in a tree that stood in the midst of the water. This is without doubt one of the most stunning moments I’ve ever captured on digital camera, however above all, it’s a particular reminder of that day. 

55. Kea by Ryan Wilkes

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Aoraki/Mount Prepare dinner Nationwide Park, New Zealand

Digicam: Sony Alpha 7 IV with a Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens; 1/3200 sec at f/9; ISO 400

Behind the Shot: My first expertise encountering Kea was in 2016 whereas on a backcountry tenting journey. At the moment, I used to be principally photographing landscapes as a passion, however that have was transformational and led me down the trail of filmmaking and images with a deal with birds. Since then, I’ve returned to the situation 10 instances to spend extra time with my favourite chicken, whose numbers are trending downward, with the purpose of constructing photographs that spark renewed curiosity within the species. I took this picture throughout a four-day tenting journey on a ridge within the Mueller Valley. This was sufficient time to have a number of encounters with a moderately massive “circus” of Kea. I watched them work together and forage. Sometimes they might develop into interested by me and my digital camera and perch someplace to look at me briefly earlier than persevering with on.

56. Surfbird by Felipe Esteban Toledo Alarcón

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Pilolcura Seashore, Los Ríos, Chile

Digicam: Sony Alpha 7 IV with a Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens at 600mm; 1/2000 sec at f/6.3; ISO 1600

Behind the shot: Throughout a good friend’s go to, we managed to carve out a day to discover totally different landscapes across the city the place I stay. We deliberate to go to considered one of my favourite seashores, Pilolcura, within the afternoon. All through the day, intermittent rain compelled us to take shelter contained in the automobile. It was throughout a kind of waits that we noticed a bunch of Surfbirds—a lifer for me. Ready to face the rain, I headed out with my digital camera. Mendacity on the sand, I used to be capable of witness the rationale behind the chicken’s title: They patiently anticipate the breaking waves to catch their meals. In burst mode, my first makes an attempt didn’t seize the chicken’s stoic serenity, contrasting with the explosive power of the ocean. After a couple of minutes, one chicken got here shut sufficient, and with a spectacular burst of froth, I captured my lifer. 

57. Upland Goose by Gaspar Ramírez B.

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Puerto Natales, Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, Chile

Digicam: Sony Alpha 7 IV with a Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens at 600mm; 1/2000 sec at f/5.6; ISO 500

Behind the shot: Though Puerto Natales is named the gateway to Torres del Paine Nationwide Park, it’s additionally doable to identify all kinds of birdlife within the surrounding space, particularly alongside the shoreline. On an early morning outing to {photograph} birds, I noticed a number of flocks of Upland Geese, a species fairly widespread in Patagonia. Mid-morning on that cloudy day, a small flock flew close to the horizon, crossing the mountain vary. That’s after I took this picture, capturing the daylight filtering by dense clouds towards the backdrop of snow-capped peaks. The picture is particular due to the solar’s ochre hues contrasting with the cool, snowy colours of winter. 

58. Peregrine Falcon by Jesse Gordon

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: New Haven, Connecticut, United States

Digicam: Nikon Z8 with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens; 1/50 sec at f/5.6; ISO 4000

Behind the Shot: Lately I’ve taken up biking to remain in form. One in every of my common rides is to the highest of East Rock Park. It’s a troublesome climb, however the reward on the high is a spectacular view of town. I began to see a pair of Peregrine Falcons who frequent the cliffs alongside the path. After recognizing one perched close to the bike path, I made a decision to bike up with the additional weight of my digital camera on my again. On the night I arrived, huffing and puffing, I used to be handled to this view of the feminine simply after sundown, the lights of town and I-95 behind her. She seemed so highly effective on this second, perched over her metropolis. I really feel it represents how these birds have managed to thrive in city environments by adaptability and sheer looking prowess.

59. Lazuli Bunting by Steve McKerrall

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Ed R. Levin County Park, Milpitas, California, United States

Digicam: OM Methods OM-1 Mark II with an OM Methods M.Zuiko 150-400mm F4.5 TC1.25X IS PRO; 1/2000 sec at f/5.6; ISO 200

Behind the Shot: I discovered this male Lazuli Bunting singing from the highest of a tall tree on a brilliant, sunny morning along with his mate foraging close by. I continued following him as he descended into the comb and selected this second to focus on the distinction between his brilliant turquoise head and the straw-colored grass. 

60. Frequent Potoo by Milton Florez

Contest: Chile and Colombia

Picture Location: La Florida, Valle del Cauca, Colombia

Digicam: Canon EOS R8 with a Canon RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM lens at 637mm; 1/4000 sec at f/9; ISO 8000

Behind the shot: Final September I used to be in Cali with my household and determined to ask my mother, aunt, sister, and two cousins to hitch me on a birding journey to La Florida, a farm outdoors town. Whereas we had been photographing different species, a farm employee quietly approached and instructed us there was a Frequent Potoo on a close-by path. He took us there with out dashing, and we arrived as quietly as doable. The chicken, as he’d instructed us, was perched on a dry log, completely camouflaged, as solely this species can. What we didn’t anticipate was to identify her little chick, watching its mom attentively, as if studying concerning the world from the protection of her embrace. I saved my distance and took the shot with an 800mm lens to keep away from disturbing the pair. That afternoon, nature gave us a present that none of us will ever neglect.

61. Sooty Grouse by Parham Pourahmad

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Yosemite Nationwide Park, California, United States

Digicam: Nikon Z8 with a Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX lens; 1/200 sec at f/6.3; ISO 400

Behind the Shot: I arrived at an overlook of Yosemite Valley to benefit from the sundown. I had no actual hopes of getting any good wildlife photographs—however then a flock of Sooty Grouse walked throughout the path proper in entrance of me. I shortly realized the chance to border them with Yosemite Valley under. Extra particularly, I needed to border them with Half Dome within the background. One of many females perched on a rock out within the open, and I took the chance to drag out my wide-angle lens and body the chicken with the panorama. I used to be capable of get fairly shut as a result of the grouse had walked proper as much as me with out displaying concern. The sundown lit up Half Dome, making for a gorgeous panorama with a gorgeous chicken.

62. Savannah Sparrow by Nick Teague

Contest: United States and Canada

Picture Location: Lexington, Massachusetts, United States

Digicam: Nikon Z8 with a Nikon NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S lens and Nikon AF-S Teleconverter TC-14E III; 1/640 sec at f/4; ISO 1000

Behind the Shot: I used to be house from school for only one weekend, and I knew I’d have little or no time to do any images. To make the most of the time I did have, I left house early one chilly fall morning to catch the tail finish of sparrow migration. I arrived at an area farm earlier than dawn, anticipating any motion among the many rows of crops. After a short while, I seen a small flock of sparrows shifting by the fields. After observing them for a couple of minutes, I rigorously approached the flower patch they had been feeding in. Quickly after, this Savannah Sparrow perched atop one of many blooms, giving me the chance to seize this picture.

63. White-collared Swift by Daniel Avendaño

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Norcasia, Caldas, Colombia

Digicam: Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens at 400mm; 1/500 sec at f/8; ISO 640

Behind the shot: Simply as daybreak broke on October Huge Day 2024, I used to be on the balcony of a resort in Norcasia. That specific spot was acquainted to me, and I knew that round 6:00 a.m. the view of the Magdalena Medio Valley fills with a novel environment, with layers of hills shrouded in mist and golden gentle that appear to stretch endlessly. Nevertheless, one thing sudden occurred that morning. Because the valley awoke, lots of of White-collared Swifts crossed the sky in all instructions, in all probability utilizing the day’s first air currents for his or her insect-hunting forays. The sunshine modified quickly, and the birds’ motion lasted only some minutes. I used to be completely satisfied to realize a photograph that conveys the vastness and environment of the Magdalena Medio with dozens of silhouettes scattered throughout the sky.

64. Yellow-bellied Seedeater by Sergio Andrés Dueñas Trejo

Contest: Chile and Colombia

Picture Location: Garzón, Huila, Colombia

Digicam: Sony Alpha 6700 with a Sony FE 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM OSS lens; 1/1250 sec at f/5.6; ISO 640

Behind the shot: In Huila’s dry forest area, particularly close to farms, it is not uncommon to search out dense pastures which might be house to a wide range of chicken species. Throughout a area journey, I seen that in the midst of the grassland, some branches with seed heads had been bending and swaying like whips. This sample repeated in numerous areas, however it wasn’t till I zoomed in with my digital camera that I discovered the reason: It was a Yellow-bellied Seedeater holding onto the ideas of the vegetation and utilizing its weight to bend them till it was hidden among the many vegetation, protected from birds of prey whereas foraging. Its fast, assured actions posed a problem for my digital camera, however, along with a number of photographs, I left that day with new insights and the understanding that, simply as this little chicken seeks protected locations in its habitat, I had discovered mine in photographing birds. 

65. Rainbow-bearded Thornbill by Miguel Ángel Gómez Mesa

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Popayán, Cauca, Colombia 

Digicam: Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM lens; 1/3200 sec at f/5.6; ISO 1000 

Behind the shot: I used to be within the area with a bunch of younger “chicken guardians,” all of us united by a standard purpose: to find out about and catch a glimpse of one of many area’s most coveted species for birders, the Rainbow-bearded Thornbill. Throughout our tour, we had been fortunate sufficient to identify the elusive hummingbird, however it moved too quick to {photograph} effectively. However then, because the rain fell, it occurred to me that I may wait to see if it’d perch someplace—and it did. It got here very near the place we had been standing after which flew as much as the branches within the picture. Amid the attribute wet climate of the excessive Andean forest, I managed to seize the chicken with its wings unfold, displaying the iridescent plumage it’s named for on the actual second it landed on a local tree.

66. Black Skimmer by Hugo Portus Lazo

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Mantagua Wetland, Valparaíso, Chile

Digicam: Canon EOS R5 with a Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Up to date lens at 600mm; 1/2500 sec at f/6.3; ISO 3200

Behind the shot: Wetlands are magical locations, not solely due to their scenic magnificence but in addition due to the big variety of birds they host all year long. In the summertime, water ranges drop and dry areas develop, forcing the skimmers to come back nearer to the paths, which makes it simpler to {photograph} them. Whereas the traditional picture of this species is “skimming” the water searching for meals, after spending complete afternoons with them, I grew to become fascinated by capturing the sporadic aerial disputes by which they chunk one another’s tails—presumably to defend their territory. After a protracted wait on a cloudy day, two of the birds started preventing close to me. It’s one of many few instances I’ve been capable of doc this habits, and it exhibits me that even in battle, nature reveals its magnificence.

67. Nice Blue Heron by Parham Pourahmad

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: San Francisco, California, United States

Digicam: Nikon Z8 with a Nikon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF-S DX lens; 1/1250 sec at f/5.6; ISO 125

Behind the Shot: I discovered this Nice Blue Heron looking for gophers in a area in an city San Francisco park. It was strolling calmly, scanning the bottom for any motion. I made a decision I needed to attempt to body the heron with the Golden Gate Bridge behind it. I received my wide-angle lens out of my backpack, received low, and waited for the heron to stroll by. I crawled on the bottom to place myself in the appropriate place and received the shot. I appreciated how the bridge emphasizes the city atmosphere that this heron lives in.

68. Empress Sensible by Juan David Camacho Márquez

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Doña Dora Birding, Valle del Cauca, Colombia

Digicam: Sony Alpha 6700 with a Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens; 1/320 sec at f/6.3; ISO 6400

Behind the shot: In terms of chicken images, gentle is essential, it doesn’t matter what form of picture you’re searching for. Nonetheless, I managed to take this picture on a darkish, cloudy, and wet afternoon at Doña Dora’s feeders. I sat there for some time, simply to determine what I may do with the setting and the species that had been current. Amid the rain and fog, I seen a younger Empress Sensible incessantly visiting the feeders and the heliconia flower proven within the picture. After a number of failed photographs, I managed to get a photograph I feel is worthy of a contest, particularly as a result of it was shot on a day when most photographers would select to not take footage.

69. Hawaiian Goose by Liron Gertsman

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Hawaiʻi Volcanoes Nationwide Park, Hawaiʻi, United States

Digicam: Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 IS USM lens; 1/40 sec at f/22; ISO 8000

Behind the Shot: I’ve all the time been drawn to photographing birds in extraordinary environments. So after I discovered that Hawaiian Geese, or “Nēnē,” often roost near the energetic volcano, I traveled to Halemaʻumaʻu Crater on Hawaii’s Kīlauea Volcano to doc them. I scouted and waited for the volcano to erupt for 10 days earlier than it lastly got here alive. As darkness arrived, a number of geese flew in and landed on the crater rim as a large lava fountain glowed behind them. I captured this second utilizing an aperture of f/22 to take care of element in each the birds and the dramatic backdrop, paired with a comparatively gradual shutter velocity of 1/40 to deal with the low-light circumstances. The {photograph} tells a uniquely Hawaiian story: the threatened state chicken outlined towards the fiery eruption of Kīlauea, the volcano the place they’ve lived for millennia.

70. Western Gull by Nathan McCall

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Shoreline alongside Tidelands Park, Coronado, California, United States

Digicam: Nikon Z8 with a Nikon NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S lens; 1/2000 sec at f/5.6; ISO 800

Behind the Shot: I went to San Diego Bay at low tide hoping to see shorebird exercise. I stayed among the many eelgrass, anticipating birds and experimenting with low-angle compositions. That’s when a Western Gull landed nearly beside me and grabbed one thing within the eelgrass. Once I realized it was after an octopus, I spun round and began taking pictures instantly. The octopus anchored itself deep within the eelgrass, stretching and gripping. The gull leaned again and pulled, testing and repositioning. A lot of the scene sat in gentle shade till the gull stepped right into a slim patch of daylight, illuminating the textures and stress in a method I couldn’t have deliberate. I’ve seen comparable encounters a number of instances since. To me, this indicators that eelgrass restoration helps a dynamic, resilient ecosystem. This picture captures not only a dramatic second, however a recovering system the place sudden interactions proliferate.

71. Frequent Raven by Parham Pourahmad

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Yosemite Nationwide Park, California, United States

Digicam: Nikon Z8 with a Nikon NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens; 1/1250 sec at f/9; ISO 1400

Behind the Shot: Whereas trying up on the granite cliffs surrounding Yosemite Valley, I seen a pair of ravens hovering effortlessly among the many cliffs. They had been extraordinarily excessive up however nonetheless flying under the peaks of the cliffs. This amazed me, and I needed to take a photograph to point out the size of the cliffs and in addition emphasize how free the ravens appeared. I waited for them to fly by a bit of the cliffs lit up by the sundown, and got here away with this image. The distinction between the rock in solar and shadow made the image for me.

72. Spectacled Tyrant by Claudio Véliz

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Cabo Blanco, Los Ríos, Chile

Digicam: Canon EOS R6 Mark II with a Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens at 500mm; 1/2500 sec at f/8; ISO 800

Behind the Shot: Spring is one of the best time to look at the Spectacled Tyrant in Chile, after they migrate from farther north in South America. The males arrive first, adopted a number of weeks later by the females, who come to look at the magnificent acrobatic leaps the males carry out to seize their consideration. The females hop from bush to bush, trying to find one of the best vantage level from which to look at and choose a mate. Paying shut consideration to this habits can yield distinctive moments like this one: a feminine Spectacled Tyrant on the actual second of takeoff from a bush, spreading her wings and displaying her intense rust-colored plumage. 

73. American Kestrel by Parham Pourahmad

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Santa Cruz, California, United States

Digicam: Nikon Z8 with a Nikon NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens; 1/250 sec at f/6.3; ISO 2800

Behind the Shot: I discovered an American Kestrel perched on a bush in a coastal savannah alongside the Monterey Bay coast. It was looking for crickets within the grass under, taking off each couple of minutes to seize a snack. I needed to emphasise how the kestrel trusted the coastal vegetation for survival, so I framed the distant falcon with one other bush in entrance of it. I appreciated how the bush and the blurry foreground attracts the viewer’s focus solely to the kestrel.

74. Lesser Rhea by Giovanni Ahumada

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Torres del Paine Nationwide Park, Magallanes and the Chilean Antarctic, Chile

Digicam: Canon EOS 90D with a Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 lens; 1/1000 sec at f/6.3; ISO 250

Behind the Shot: After a protracted day of fruitless searches for wild cats within the Torres del Paine Reserve, the sunshine was fading when, in the midst of the street and amid a fierce wind, the silhouette of a rhea appeared, working away from us. We had been mendacity on the bottom, braving an icy wind and temperatures hovering round zero levels Celsius, however because the chicken slowed down, we managed to take a few photographs earlier than it took off once more, disappearing into the vastness of the grassland. 

75. Andean Condor by Joaquín René Lagos San Martín 

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Puerto Natales, Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica, Chile

Digicam: Nikon D800 with a Nikon AF-S DX VR Zoom-NIKKOR 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED lens at 120mm; 1/400 sec at f/4.8; ISO 100

Behind the shot: I didn’t plan for this second: Once I reached the summit of Cerro Benítez in Torres del Paine Nationwide Park, simply as the primary rays of daylight reached the mountains, I discovered a few condors standing quietly on a rocky ridge. At one level, the male absolutely prolonged his wings towards the feminine in a short show. Then I took the picture. This encounter was marked by silence and distance and allowed me to glimpse the delicate relationship that condors have with their panorama. As scavengers, they recycle natural matter and contribute to the well being of the ecosystem. Though protected in Chile as a pure monument, the species continues to face threats equivalent to poisoning and habitat loss. Its gradual reproductive fee makes it significantly weak to environmental change.

76. Scarlet-bellied Mountain Tanager by Juan David Camacho Márquez

Contest: Chile and Colombia

Picture Location: Termales del Ruiz Lodge, Caldas, Colombia

Digicam: Sony Alpha 6700 with a Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens; 1/800 sec at f/6.3; ISO 4000

Behind the Shot: Throughout the Birdwatching Tourism Congress in Manizales, I accompanied a camp for younger birders and spent three fantastic days with a bunch that made me really feel like a part of a household. Collectively we visited the Termales del Ruiz Lodge, the place we noticed many superb species, together with this Mountain Tanager. I used to be thrilled to lastly {photograph} a number of species I had by no means managed to take an image of earlier than, however I used to be much more moved to see the children so engaged and fascinated by the birds we discovered. That reminiscence is what I like most about this {photograph}.

77. Crimson-rumped Toucanet by Juan David Camacho Márquez

Contest: Chile and Colombia

Picture Location: Bosque de Niebla Birding and Nature, Valle del Cauca, Colombia

Digicam: Sony Alpha 6700 with a Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens; 1/800 sec at f/6.3; ISO 2000

Behind the Shot: Naming my favourite species is a really troublesome job. Nevertheless, my favourite chicken household must be toucans. With vivid colours and imposing beaks, they showcase unparalleled magnificence. But magnificence shouldn’t be their solely particular high quality. Past fruit, toucans eat smaller chicken species, equivalent to hummingbirds, and barely bigger ones, like thrushes. That’s nature at work. On the day I took this picture, a few Crimson-rumped Toucanets landed in a palm tree proper in entrance of my home. At first I made a decision to easily benefit from the second, however for the reason that toucans lingered for longer than typical, I lastly introduced out my digital camera. A couple of days later, whereas reviewing the images, I stumbled upon this one and fell in love with it.

78. Anhinga by Ivey Kennedy

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Laguna de Cocodrilos, Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit, Mexico

Digicam: Sony Alpha 7 IV with a Sony FE 200-600mm F/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens; 1/3200 sec at f/6.3; ISO 5000

Behind the Shot: Whereas visiting this space for work, I made a decision to go birding. I walked alongside the shore and seen a lagoon the place indicators warned of crocodiles. Behind the signage was this feminine Anhinga perched on an uncovered department over the water, her wings unfold. Once I shifted my angle, I seen fish netting hanging from her invoice. She tried to groom herself and shake her head to dislodge the fabric however failed. Guilt and heartbreak overwhelmed me, and I entered the crocodile-infested water to achieve her, however she flew away earlier than I may. This was the primary {photograph} I captured displaying the unfavorable impacts people have on wildlife, particularly birds. Industrial fishing impacts seabirds by bycatch that hooks or entangles lots of of hundreds of birds yearly. I hope this picture brings consideration to this concern and provokes motion to guard our birds.

79. Black-legged Kittiwake by Trevor LaClair

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Resurrection Bay, Alaska, United States

Digicam: Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens; 1/1250 sec at f/7.1; ISO 1600

Behind the Shot: Whereas main a week-long images workshop in Alaska, I ventured out with my group into Resurrection Bay for eight hours every day. One of many locations we visited alongside the coast was the nesting grounds of Black-legged Kittiwakes. These seabirds spend most of their outing at sea and return to breed alongside seaside cliffs. Once I noticed these birds nesting close to a big sea cave, I needed to seize a picture that emphasised the dimensions of the colony and the energetic habits of the birds flying to and from the nests. As a images information, I discover that plenty of of us favor taking pictures charismatic species. Species equivalent to gulls are sometimes neglected, however by cautious commentary and correct strategies you can also make an amazing picture out of any topic. This {photograph} additionally highlights the pure historical past of those gulls and what it takes to outlive within the northern seas.

80. Pine Grosbeak by Brook Burling

Contest: United States and Canada

Picture Location: Wausau, Wisconsin, United States

Digicam: Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens; 1/1000 sec at f/7.1; ISO 3200

Behind the Shot: Throughout a bitter chilly snap when temperatures hovered close to 10 levels under zero, I photographed this feminine Pine Grosbeak. These birds are an irruptive species in Wisconsin, showing solely throughout winters when meals sources farther north develop into scarce. After seeing stories of their arrival, I spent the early morning driving rural backroads scanning berry-laden bushes in hopes of discovering them. After about an hour I got here throughout a flock of a dozen Pine Grosbeaks feeding quietly in a crabapple tree heavy with frost-covered fruit. This chicken’s gentle grey feathers and heat golden tones blended completely into the muted winter panorama. To me, the picture represents resilience and adaptation. Wildlife endures and thrives by one of many harshest seasons within the Northwoods. I hope the {photograph} encourages folks to understand the delicate habitats and meals sources that maintain winter birds throughout excessive circumstances.

81. Black-necked Swan by Rene Sandoval Emparán

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Puerto Natales, Magallanes and the Chilean Antarctic, Chile

Digicam: Sony Alpha 7 III with a Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II lens and Sony FE 2x Teleconverter at 250mm; 1/2000 sec at f/8; ISO 1000

Behind the Shot: After spending the entire day exploring Torres del Paine Nationwide Park, we returned to Puerto Natales and took a brief stroll alongside the waterfront earlier than calling it a day. Within the distance, I noticed some Black-necked Swans making their method by the waves, however it wasn’t till we received nearer to the shore that we realized they had been with their cygnets. The adults had been feeding by submerging their heads underwater for a number of seconds whereas concurrently guiding their chicks, as if instructing them methods to discover meals. I didn’t have a tripod, so I improvised by propping my backpack on the bottom to decrease the digital camera angle and get as shut as doable to the water’s floor. What struck me most was the calm with which the adults guided their chicks within the midst of such a chilly, wild atmosphere. 

82. Peregrine Falcon by John LeeWong

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Level Vicente, Rancho Palos Verdes, California, United States

Digicam: Sony Alpha 1 with a Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS; 1/1000 sec at f/6.3; ISO 1600

Behind the Shot: For the previous six years I’ve tried to seize photographs of Peregrine Falcons throughout nesting season. This 12 months I had the uncommon alternative to seize two fledglings feeding themselves. Till then their mom had fed them, morsel by morsel. On today, when the birds known as out from the cliff to let their mother and father know they had been hungry, their mom swooped in, dropped off a small chicken, and took off. I shortly hooked up my 1.4x teleconverter to my 600mm lens and moved again to get a transparent view of them sharing their meal. By way of my viewfinder, I noticed them pull feathers and have interaction in a tug-of-war, lifting and stretching the prey’s intestines. There are occasions like this when taking pictures with a teleconverter for additional attain permits me to seize the minute, vital element that drives the story house.

83. Golden-collared Manakin by Esteban Gómez Tirado

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Tinamú Birding and Nature Lodge, Caldas, Colombia

Digicam: Canon EOS R7 with a Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Up to date lens with an EF-EOS R Mount adapter; 1/200 sec at f/6.3; ISO 6400

Behind the Shot: In a small patch of lowland forest within the division of Caldas, the silence is damaged by dry snaps and songs that sign an uncommon spectacle. In case you strategy rigorously, chances are you’ll uncover a Golden-collared Manakin lek—a small space of the forest meticulously maintained by the birds, freed from leaf litter, with slender, upright stems that present a clear, high-contrast backdrop for these tiny birds to carry out their elaborate courtship ritual. Throughout these shows, the males unfold their chin feathers, carry out acrobatic jumps, and flap their wings quickly, producing the attribute clicks that echo by the forest. This courtship show lasts lower than a second and takes place in very low gentle, so capturing it required persistence, commentary, and a number of makes an attempt to freeze.

84. Blue-naped Chlorophonia by Leah Turner

Contest: United States and Canada

Picture Location: Santa Marta, Magdalena, Colombia

Digicam: Nikon D850 with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens; 1/250 sec at f/5.6; ISO 280

Behind the Shot: Whereas staying on the Bellavista Ecolodge, I seen a pile of fruit sitting outdoors the resort kitchen, ready to be ready for the friends’ breakfast buffet. The meals, nonetheless, attracted diners of a special form. Tiny Blue-naped Chlorophonias darted from close by bushes to the bananas, grabbing bites earlier than retreating to cowl. I stood quietly on a balcony above the scene with my digital camera, watching the birds carry out their tropical fruit stand heists. A number of the bananas had been already open, proof that the birds had been having fun with their breakfast effectively earlier than dawn. Then one chicken paused mid-snack, seemed as much as me with a sheepish expression, and appeared torn between “caught red-handed” and “fully unapologetic.” To me the picture captures the playful overlap between human areas and wildlife, reminding us that nature is stuffed with intelligent opportunists, and generally they’re impossibly charming.

85. Brown Pelican by Nick Schwinghamer

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Bahia Principe Discover Akumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Digicam: Sony Alpha 1 II with a Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens; 1/3200 sec at f/6.3; ISO 320

Behind the Shot: I took this {photograph} whereas on a household trip at a resort in Mexico, the place a breakwater sheltered a small stretch of seashore from the waves. The calm, shallow water drew massive colleges of fish, and with them, each vacationers and a bunch of Brown Pelicans looking alongside them. The pelicans flew low over folks’s heads, drifted previous snorkelers, and repeatedly plunge-dived inside arm’s attain of wading beachgoers. I spent a day kneeling within the shallows, lengthy lens up, monitoring the pelicans as they hunted. One chicken spiraled upward and tucked into its dive, dropping behind a pair wading in entrance of me. I held the shutter down and saved following it. The ensuing body captured wild and human life shifting collectively in parallel. That coexistence doesn’t must be dramatic or deliberate. Right here, it was unintentional and extraordinary.

86. Lesser Horned Owl by Harold Gillibrand Guerra

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Panguilemu space, Aysen, Chile

Digicam: Canon EOS R6 with a Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD lens with a Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R at 600mm; 1/20 sec at f/6.3; ISO 6400

Behind the Shot: Close to town of Coyhaique, the place I stay, I’ve been intently observing a pair of Lesser Horned Owls for years. On this explicit evening, after waking up, the three juveniles started enjoying among the many branches. At that second their father flew over the world and perched on the tallest tree. With a name, he summoned his chicks. He got here down with a hare he had cached there. It was fascinating to look at the hierarchy among the many siblings: Whereas the daddy fed essentially the most dominant chick, the least assertive one waited patiently for its flip. It was round 10:00 p.m., and there was nearly no gentle. Utilizing a tripod, I sought out the exact angle in order that the lights of town would body the scene, creating that distinction between nature and the civilization encroaching on its territory.

87. Austral Blackbird by Juan Meza Cid

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Malalcahuelo, Araucania, Chile

Digicam: Sony Alpha 6600 with a Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens at 600mm; 1/400 sec at f/6.3; ISO 640

Behind the Shot: I used to be driving on a stormy day on Route 181 close to Malacahuello, within the Andean area of Araucana. From inside my automobile, I noticed this Austral Blackbird perched on a thorny department, resolutely braving the relentless wind and rain of the Chilean mountains. I used to be capable of take this picture from inside my automobile. My hope with this {photograph} was to convey the outstanding resilience of birds in essentially the most difficult landscapes and climates of the southern a part of the continent. 

88. Andean Condor by Roberto Prat Arandeda

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Coyhaique, Aysén, Chile

Digicam: Canon EOS R6 Mark II with a Canon RF 200-800mm f/6.3-9 IS USM lens at 400mm; 1/1250 sec at f/9; ISO 3200

Behind the Shot: One winter morning, I made a decision to exit to take photographs close to Coyhaique. The day had been quiet, with no bird-of-prey sightings and only some birds typical of the season flying in flocks. Since I wasn’t getting the outcomes I’d hoped for, I saved driving till I reached a stretch of the street the place the terrain reveals a backdrop of snow-covered mountains. I had gotten out of the automobile to {photograph} the panorama when a solitary condor started to strategy from afar. The gap was appreciable, the main target required precision, and a lightweight mist within the air made taking the {photograph} even more durable. Nonetheless, I managed to trace its flight path lengthy sufficient to get a number of photographs. It was a once-in-a-lifetime scene that reworked an extraordinary outing into one thing particular. 

89. Pink-footed Shearwater by Matías Rivera Campos

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Offshore Bío Bío, Chile

Digicam: Canon EOS R5 with a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens at 400mm; 1/3200 sec at f/5.6; ISO 1000

Behind the Shot: On the day I took this picture, a good friend had organized a ship journey and invited me to hitch. We initially set out searching for whales, however the journey had some surprises in retailer for us. Throughout a stretch of our voyage, this Pink-footed Shearwater appeared. We watched it fly gracefully over the calm waters, which mirrored its actions over the huge expanse of mirror-like sea. The circumstances had been good, and I attempted to seize the chicken simply because it was about to skim the water with the tip of 1 wing. The cloudy sky offered a brilliant, white distinction to the shearwater’s subdued tones.

90. Purple-backed Thornbill by Juan Jacobo Castillo

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Páramo de Guasca, Cundinamarca, Colombia

Digicam: Canon EOS R7 with a Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens; 1/1250 sec at f/7.1; ISO 1250

Behind the Shot: After ready greater than a 12 months for the best second to {photograph} this hummingbird, I traveled to a páramo, an alpine grassland, close to Bogotá the place I discovered a number of people feeding on a patch of flowering native frailejones (Espeletia grandiflora). Purple-backed Thornbills are most energetic throughout the flowering season of this plant, which is attribute of the páramos, a novel highland ecosystem. After ready patiently for the best lighting circumstances, I captured the picture I used to be searching for: one which freezes the hummingbird’s motion in mid-air, immortalizing a second that lasts a fraction of a second. 

91. Hooded Oriole by Leah Turner

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Superior, Arizona, United States

Digicam: Nikon D850 with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR lens; 1/800 sec at f/5.6; ISO 560

Behind the Shot: On a heat spring morning, I spent a number of hours ready beside blooming aloe vegetation at Boyce Thompson Arboretum the place I seen Hooded Orioles feeding on nectar. I hoped to focus on the camouflage and shade concord that may happen in nature. A male landed on the stem instantly in entrance of me and took a deep drink of nectar. He heard the clicking of my shutter and turned to look instantly towards me. I captured a single body earlier than he flew away. I like how the oriole appears suspended throughout the flowers, practically changing into a part of the plant itself. To me the picture displays the significance of slowing down and observing the delicate relationships between birds and the habitats they rely upon. Moments like this are temporary and simply missed, however with persistence, they’ll reveal extraordinary magnificence hidden in plain sight.

92. Harris’s Hawk and Inexperienced-backed Firecrown by Gaspar Ramírez B.

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Ramsar Website Conchalí Lagoon Wetland, Coquimbo, Chile

Digicam: Sony Alpha 7 IV with a Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 FM OSS lens and Sony FE 2x Teleconverter; 1/1250 sec at f/5.6; ISO 4000

Behind the Shot: Every time I journey outdoors my metropolis, I take my digital camera with me and search for locations the place I can discover birds to {photograph}. I left early and was the one individual on the Laguna Conchalí Wetland. Proper initially of my stroll, I noticed this hawk looking. After an unsuccessful try, it perched on this dried Chagual flower. After I’d taken a few photographs, a curious hummingbird hovered just some meters from the chicken of prey. It turned out to be a putting and really stunning picture. 

93. Striated Caracara by Omar Barroso Putare

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Cabo de Hornos Nationwide Park, Magallanes and the Chilean Antarctic, Chile

Digicam: Nikon D750 with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR lens at 440mm; 1/400 sec at f/5.6; ISO 640

Behind the Shot: I took this picture on the southernmost tip of Chile. Reaching this archipelago was a serious problem that examined my endurance and my gear, as we needed to sail by stormy waters and hike throughout peat bogs uncovered to fixed sturdy winds. After hours of climbing, this Striated Caracara, an iconic but close to threatened species, landed close by and remained nonetheless. As quickly as I noticed it, I threw myself to the bottom to create a foreground blur utilizing the native vegetation. Then the caracara opened its beak and set free a robust name: a uncooked, direct cry towards the fixed whistle of the southern wind. It’s a chicken that has withstood human persecution and, on that day, within the midst of utter isolation, asserted its presence.

94. Snow Bunting by Ramesh Kodavatiganti

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Alberta, Canada

Digicam: Nikon Z9 with a Nikon NIKKOR Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens; 1/2000 sec at f/6.3; ISO 80

Behind the Shot: Whereas driving round farmland on a chilly and sunny morning searching for owls, I noticed a flock of Snow Buntings feeding within the corn fields. They flew in brief bursts and landed in the midst of the street. The whole flock then crossed over to the other aspect of the street. Till this second, I had solely seen a number of Snow Buntings scattered throughout the panorama. This was a completely totally different, and gorgeous, expertise. Utilizing a zoom lens within the mid-range helped me seize the birds in flight in addition to the scenic farmlands, with a gravel street chopping by the picture. 

95. Purple Sandpiper by Kerry Snyder

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Barnegat Mild, New Jersey, United States

Digicam: Sony Alpha 7 IV with a Sony FE 200-600 mm F/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens; 1/500 at f/6.3; ISO 3200

Behind the Shot: On a February journey to Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, my fellow birders and I walked down a protracted rock jetty. Whereas marveling at birds that solely spend the colder months in New Jersey flying above and swimming within the ocean present, we seen a pair Purple Sandpipers periodically drop down between the big jetty rocks. I quickly found the rationale for the habits: a feast of mussels hooked up under. I sat down on one of many rocks to get a greater angle when one of many sandpipers received shut. This chicken ferociously probed for mussels, stopping from time to time and looking out up as I angled my digital camera into the crevice. I’m in awe of the delicate purple-gray coloration of those birds’ nonbreeding plumage and take any alternative to {photograph} them on the coast close to house.

96. Magellanic Penguin by Aldo Scrivanti

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Islotes de Puñihuil Pure Monument, Los Lagos, Chile

Digicam: Canon EOS R5 Mark II with a Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens at 500mm; 1/1250 sec at f/7.1; ISO 6400

Behind the Shot: My buddies and I arrived on a ship on the Puñihuil islets at 7:30 within the morning, bathed within the chilly, dim, and diffuse gentle typical of a south-polar daybreak. However that was simply one of many hurdles. The swell rocked the boat, we had been removed from this penguin, and the Patagonian chilly numbed my fingers, making each digital camera adjustment troublesome. Even so, I saved the lens pointed on the algae-covered rocks, ready, not fairly positive what for. All of a sudden, the penguin bowed towards me and, with its beak open, set free a loud, deep sound. I snapped the picture instinctively. I hope that whoever sees this {photograph} feels the identical method I did that early morning: It’s price being current—with persistence and a focus—as a result of nature all the time finds a option to communicate.

97. Anhinga by Susan Oliver

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Lakeland, Florida, United States

Digicam: Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens; 1/2000 sec at f/5; ISO 1600

Behind the Shot: Earlier than Hurricane Ian modified a lot of the panorama at Florida’s Circle B Bar Reserve, there was a stretch alongside Alligator Alley close to Lake Hancock that I known as the “Fowl Pictures Studio.” The sunshine filtered superbly by the cypress bushes, and the draping Spanish moss created a gentle backdrop for any chicken that perched there. On this stroll, it was a feminine Anhinga that stopped me. Whereas the putting black plumage of the males typically attracts the eye, I used to be captivated by the delicate magnificence of the feminine’s buff-colored neck and the curve she fashioned towards the moss. I’ve seen that photographers incessantly stroll previous Anhingas, particularly the females. I needed the picture to point out the quiet magnificence of a chicken that’s typically neglected.

98. White Ibis by Ron van Velzen

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Sidney Lanier Bridge, Glynn County, Georgia

Digicam: Sony DSC-RX10 Mark IV; 1/640 sec at f/5.6; ISO 100

Behind the Shot: I made this picture on a fog-heavy morning alongside the Georgia coast, with the Sidney Lanier Bridge rising and dissolving into layers of mist. I used to be drawn to the cables fading into nothing, the construction lowered to gentle geometry and tone. The dense fog flattened distinction and made autofocus unreliable, so I switched to guide focus and punctiliously managed publicity to protect delicate gradations within the whites and grays. I hoped for a second to carry scale and life into the body. That got here when a small group of White Ibises crossed the bridge line. Their spacing mirrored the suspension cables, connecting the natural and the engineered. The picture speaks to coexistence—wildlife navigating by human-made environments with quiet persistence. I hope viewers really feel the stillness of the second and acknowledge how nature continues its patterns, even throughout the constructions we construct.

99. Better Prairie-Hen by Alex Becker

Contest: United States and Canada 

Picture Location: Mitchell County, Kansas, United States

Digicam: Nikon Z9 with a Nikon NIKKOR Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens and a Nikon Z Teleconverter TC-1.4x; 1/2500 sec at f/9; ISO 12800

Behind the Shot: Photographing grouse displaying at leks within the spring is the spotlight of my 12 months. I like getting there earlier than the solar is even on the horizon. Anticipation builds as the sunshine will get brighter ever so slowly and the birds lastly develop into seen. Male Better Prairie-Chickens show by shortly tapping their toes, dropping their heads, and inflating the colourful air sacs on their necks. This lek, or courtship space, had very quick grass, so when the birds danced, gravel and grime flew into the air. I needed to seize that dynamic up shut, so I used an 800mm lens with a 1.4x teleconverter to deal with this particular person. In my viewfinder, I may see one other chicken within the background, so I waited patiently to get each of them mid-display within the body. Fortunately, each birds cooperated, and I used to be thrilled to seize a second of their dance.

100. Stripe-backed Bittern by Franco Elgueta R.

Contest: Chile and Colombia 

Picture Location: Puchuncaví, Valparaíso, Chile

Digicam: Sony Alpha 1 with a Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens; 1/1000 sec at f/2.8; ISO 100

Behind the Shot: For years, I’ve visited this wetland on Chile’s central coast. After a long time of business strain and human improvement, what was as soon as an unlimited wetland has been lowered to small, scattered our bodies of water nestled amongst rushes, cattails, and fences. One morning throughout my every day stroll I sat quietly on the water’s edge, watching the birds. Then I seen a form among the many reeds: a immobile Stripe-backed Bittern, mixing into the vertical sample of the vegetation. I’d by no means seen one there earlier than. Because it seemed as if it’d take flight, I set my digital camera to high-speed mode and waited. After some time, the chicken emerged and flew over the golden reeds in entrance of a giant willow tree. The picture exhibits how even small pockets of wetland can nonetheless maintain life.