Surfing penguins and hunting falcons among bird photography prize winners

An image of a peregrine falcon chasing a butterfly, a vulture feasting on a black bear and a surfing penguin are among the winning images of Bird Photographer of the Year 2024.

The contest, in its ninth edition, celebrates the beauty of birds while also highlighting the threats they face. Canadian photographer Patricia Homonylo took away the grand prize with a devastating image showing more than 4,000 birds that were killed after collisions with windows or reflective surfaces in Toronto.

A study published in August estimated that more than one billion birds die in the US each year due to collisions with windows. As a conservation photojournalist working with the Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP), which aims to keep birds safe from deadly collisions, Homonylo wanted to visualize the tragedy. Along with her team, she placed the dead in concentric circles, with the biggest birds at the center.

“We create this impactful display to honor the lives lost and increase public awareness,” Homonylo said in a statement. “I hope people are shocked by what they see and are moved to act by using bird-safe glass and supporting organizations like FLAP.”

To a bird, a reflective surface can appear like a continuation of the landscape, and as a result many fly straight into windows at full speed. Precautions such as applying visual markers like stickers or a bird-safe film can help to prevent collisions.

Conservation is one of the key drivers for the annual competition, which is partnered with Birds on the Brink, a charity that provides funding to grassroots bird conservation projects around the world. According to the latest State of the World’s Birds report by BirdLife International, nearly half of the planet’s bird species are in decline and one in eight species is threatened with extinction.

Will Nicholls, director of Bird Photographer of the Year, told CNN that the competition allows people to view things they may not be able to see for themselves. “Raising awareness of what is out there in the tree tops is half the battle for getting people to care about nature. Humans are visual creatures, and photography is incredibly powerful to convey a message,” he said.

Photographers from around the world entered more than 23,000 images into the contest, competing in eight different categories. The title of Young Bird Photographer of the Year was awarded to 14-year-old Spanish photographer Andrés Luis Domínguez Blanco for a vivid image of a nuthatch — a small bird similar to a woodpecker — scrambling down an oak tree in Grazalema in southern Spain.

The images cover a huge range of species, environments and behaviors – some are comedic while others carry a serious message. According to Paul Sterry, a trustee of Birds on the Brink: “The mark of a good photograph is one that either demonstrates artistry or tells a story.”