Bird on a wire and other winning photos

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

The image was taken in Toronto and beat greater than 23,000 entries to say the prize.

The {photograph} exhibits greater than 4,000 birds that died colliding with home windows and different reflective surfaces within the metropolis.

“Every year multiple billion birds die in North America alone on account of collisions with home windows,” says Homonylo.

“I’m a conservation photojournalist and have been working with the Deadly Mild Consciousness Program, the place we save window-collision survivors in Toronto.

“Sadly, a lot of the birds we discover are already lifeless.

“They’re collected and on the finish of the 12 months we create this impactful show to honour the lives misplaced and improve public consciousness.”

Homonylo’s entry was additionally among the many winners chosen for the Conservation (Single Picture) class.

The Younger Chook Photographer of the Yr 2024 was awarded to 14-year-old Spanish photographer Andrés Luis Domínguez Blanco for his artistic angle on a nuthatch scrambling down an oak tree.

Photographers competed in a eight of various classes within the grownup competitors, together with a Conservation Award, Portfolio Award, and Video Award.

Here’s a choice of the images that had been awarded a gold, silver or bronze, with descriptions by the photographers.

“This Peregrine Falcon fledgling had been flying for over per week and his expertise had improved by the day.

“Whereas he nonetheless took meals from dad and mom, he had began to practise his searching expertise.

“He was not ok to catch reside birds within the air but, so he took child steps by chasing a fluttering butterfly.

“I’ve been photographing peregrines for years, and this was the primary time I’ve seen fledglings play with butterflies.”

“For a number of weeks every year, Black Grouse collect at [the] leks on spring mornings for courtship and show.

“The males come down, every claiming their patch, and spend a few hours sizing one another up, charging at one another, partaking in principally mock battles.

“Typically, nonetheless, the encounters escalate to actual fights.

“The heated breath of a solitary fighter is steaming within the chilly air, which I captured whereas sitting inside a small images conceal, revelling within the sounds and sights of this historical play.”

“Within the lifeless of winter, I marvel on the aerial ballet of the backyard birds that come to go to my timber and to make the most of the seeds that I put out for them.

“Discreetly hidden, I attempted to immortalise their flight and its delicate path utilizing a flash and digital camera in ‘rear curtain’ mode.

“A whole bunch of photographs had been required earlier than I captured the proper second, which portrayed the fleeting magic of nature in winter.”

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

“The species is Scotland’s largest seabird, and they’re remarkably adept within the water, with the flexibility to dive to depths so far as 22 metres.

“I took this picture whereas scuba diving from a ship close to Noss, which is residence to the UK’s seventh largest colony of northern gannets.

“Previously the inhabitants has been estimated at round 25,000 birds, although their numbers had been sadly severely lowered by the avian flu outbreak.

“It’s unclear when, or if, their inhabitants will be capable of recuperate. Lifeless herring from a neighborhood herring fishery had been used to draw the birds to the boat.”

“This {photograph} exhibits a hoary-headed grebe because it disappears beneath the floor of the water to feed, pushing into the depths with its enormous paddle-like ft.

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

“With somewhat little bit of creativeness, the mixture of hen and ripples seem like the pinnacle of a hippo.”

“We had been on a safari, and returning to camp in Sabi Sands, South Africa, on a darkish March night.

“We stopped, having picked up some uncommon sounds, though uncertain what they had been.

“Then we heard chattering and fluttering excessive above us.

“When illuminated with the lamp on the car, we noticed these helmetshrikes huddling collectively towards an evening that was beginning to flip colder.”

“Goosanders breed within the park about one kilometre from Poland’s life-giving River Vistula.

“Every mom has to maneuver her brood to the river as rapidly as doable on account of lack of meals and security within the park.

“They make the journey by way of a sequence of underground passages and over a six-lane freeway.

“Every year a gaggle of volunteers assist them cross this lethal street by stopping the visitors.

“This picture exhibits a mom goosander crossing a smaller street as a result of she determined to not use the scary and darkish underground passage beneath it.”

“This poignant picture captures the tough actuality in one in every of Bali’s hen markets.

“The pair of lovebirds face one another in separate cages, showing to say their closing farewells, not understanding if they’ll see one another once more.

“Who is aware of what joys they’d have skilled collectively of their lush native rainforests and whether or not they’ll ever expertise that once more.

“Their silent connection transcends bodily limitations, emphasising the advanced interplay between craving for freedom and the urge to flee from captivity for human pleasure.”

“I took this picture on a good looking seashore on the Baltic Sea.

“There are a selection of waders and different birds right here, but additionally many guests who benefit from the stunning panorama.

“On this case there was additionally a canine who initially didn’t discover the gray plover. The gray plover, nonetheless, did discover the canine and flew away shortly after I took the picture.

“Whereas I don’t imagine this incident vastly harassed the hen, it’s essential to acknowledge the potential influence of human exercise and tourism on protected species and their habitats.”

“Lake Federsee is a well-known wintering space for quite a few migratory birds.

“From November to March, Eurasian bitterns are frequent guests to this lake.

“As quickly because the lake freezes over, these uncommon birds retreat to trenches by way of the reeds.

“Surprisingly, this particular person was very near the boardwalk that leads by way of the character reserve.

“From there, I may simply watch its fishing marketing campaign and take quite a few images.”