Incredible image of peregrine falcon swooping on pelican to protect her young wins Bird Photographer of the Year

A dramatic shot of a female peregrine falcon swooping down on a brown pelican while protecting her young won this year’s Bird Photographer of the Year award.

The photo was taken by Jack Zhi, who had waited four years to capture this rare moment in Southern California. The incredible image ‘Catch the bull by the horns’ beat more than 23,000 entries to win the prize.

“For four years I have attempted to capture the rare image of a female hawk attacking great brown pelicans with incredible speed and agility,” he said in a press release.

“The high-speed chase made it difficult to capture a close-up with a long lens. The falcon’s accuracy was astonishing when it hit the pelican’s head,” explained the American photographer.

“I love the eyes of the pelican in this picture – surprised and scared. The action was quick and over in the blink of an eye. But I will remember this moment forever,” Zhi said.

A photo of the silhouette of a blackbird against the backdrop of the moon taken by German photographer Anton Trexler, 17, won the Young Bird Photographer of the Year award.

The annual competition is designed to showcase bird photography from around the world. and features images in different categories including the Conservation Award, Portfolio Award, Video Award and Comedy Bird Photo Award.

Zhi, a full-time computer engineer, searches for birds and other wildlife in his spare time. He also won Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 2021 and the Audubon Photography Awards Grand Prize in 2021.

The photographer took home the top prize of £5,000 (US$6,280) and the prestigious title. The image also won the Gold Award in the Bird Behavior category.

German photographer Anton Trexler, 17, won the Young Bird Photographer of the Year award for his photo of the silhouette of a blackbird against the backdrop of the moon.

The gold medal in the Comedy Bird category went to Italian photographer Antonio Aguti. It was a wide-eyed bird with a huge fish in its mouth.

“The purple heron is a migratory bird that nests in the lake basins of the Italian peninsula and feeds mainly on fish. In this photo, the heron grabbed a large goldfish and swallowed it voraciously after several attempts to flip the fish on its side,” Aguti said.

Gold in the Comedy Bird category went to Italian photographer Antonio Aguti who captured a wide-eyed bird with a huge fish in its mouth.

A photo of penguins taken by Levi Fitze on Saunders Island in the Falkland Islands has won Comedy Bird Photo’s Silver Award.

“More fish please!” taken by Levi Fitze on Saunders Island in the Falkland Islands won the Comedy Bird Photo Silver Award and features a baby penguin facing a king penguin.

“This minor constantly begged until the annoyed adult walked away. However, the fact that the juvenile was more massive than the adult suggests good parenting overall. Fitze noted.

British photographer Rachel Bigsby won this year’s Best Portfolio award for her “incredible ability to capture the beauty, resilience and fragility of bird life that lives in the air, on land and at sea”.

The gold prize for best portrait went to Nicolas Reusens, who captured a rare shimmering green tanager in Ecuador.

The gold prize for best portrait went to Nicolas Reusens, who presented a rare shimmering green tanager in Ecuador.

Rafael Armada’s image of a sword-billed hummingbird with the longest beak in the world relative to its size won the Gold Award in the Bird in Flight category

“After hours of waiting, I saw the bright green bird on a perfect heart-shaped leaf. Its shimmering feathers reflected a dazzling array of colors. I captured every detail, grateful for this moment magic in the middle of the lush jungle,” said Reusens. .

The gold prize in the Bird in Flight category went to Rafael Armada’s image of a sword-billed hummingbird with the longest beak in the world relative to its size.

“The unique beak of this bird, adapted to feed on flowers with long corollas, makes it a vital pollinator, since bees and butterflies cannot reach the nectar and therefore do not pollinate these plants”, explained the photographer.