PICTURES: Bird Photographer of the Year 2026 celebrates the beauty and diversity of birdlife

A northern gannet appears to burst through the sun as it dives towards the water in this striking photograph, titled Sunball Rocket, by British photographer Henley Spiers. Captured in Shetland, Scotland, the image celebrates the seabird’s remarkable hunting abilities. Northern gannets can plunge into the sea at speeds of up to 86km/h, using their streamlined bodies and specially adapted anatomy to withstand the impact. The photograph received a Gold Award in the Birds in the Environment category and was named the overall winner of Bird Photographer of the Year 2026. Picture: Henley Spiers

Gentoo penguins swim through the waters of Charcot Bay, Antarctica, in this photograph titled Back to Fishing by French photographer Romain Barats. While snorkelling in the bay, Barats encountered a group of the curious seabirds as they travelled to feed on fish and krill. The penguins swam rapidly around him, seemingly assessing whether he posed a threat. The photograph received a Bronze Award in the Birds in the Environment category. Picture: Romain Barats

A fledgling tawny frogmouth stretches its wings in the rain, seemingly shielding its siblings from falling water droplets, in Perth, Australia. Photographer Donald Chin captured the young bird’s wide eyes and open beak as it blends into the bark and shadows of the forest. The photograph, titled I’m Keeping Everyone Dry, received a Gold Award in the Bird Behaviour category. Picture: Donald Chin

A yellow-legged gull perches on a rooftop in Rome, Italy, in this photograph titled Alter Ego by Italian photographer Gianluca Damiani. The image highlights how the birds have adapted to urban environments, using tall buildings as substitutes for coastal cliffs that provide nesting sites, roosts and perches. Dry pet food on the windowsill reflects the practice of residents feeding urban birds. The photograph received a Gold Award in the Urban Birds category. Picture: Gianluca Damiani

A great blue heron has a fishing line and bobber tangled around its beak in this photograph titled Not a Good Day Fishing by American photographer Kent Stuart. The image was taken at a pond in Warren County, New Jersey, where Stuart was photographing waterbirds when the heron landed nearby. The discarded fishing equipment highlights the dangers of litter and lost tackle to wildlife. The photograph received a Gold Award in the Conservation category. Picture: Kent Stuart

A discarded stuffed Egyptian vulture is discovered by a BirdLife Malta officer near an informal landfill in Malta in this photograph titled Discarded Evidence by Italian photographer Luca Eberle. The species is critically endangered in the Mediterranean and strictly protected, yet illegal hunting of migratory birds remains a concern on the island. The abandoned specimen may have been discarded to make room for another illegally killed bird. The photograph received a Bronze Award in the Conservation category. Picture: Luca Eberle

An Atlantic puffin is silhouetted against the shimmering ocean at sunset on Skomer Island in the United Kingdom in this photograph, titled Sunset Puffin, by German photographer Volker Widmann. Captured in the evening, after day visitors had left the island, the image highlights the seabird against the water’s reflections. The photograph received a Silver Award in the Best Portrait category. Picture: Volker Widmann

A male greater sage-grouse displays its tail feathers during courtship in Utah, United States, in this award-winning photograph titled Radiant by American photographer Thomas Deliberto. Captured at sunrise, the backlighting makes the bird’s feathers appear to glow against the shadowed sagebrush hillside. The greater sage-grouse, the largest native grouse in North America, depends on sagebrush ecosystems in the western United States, but its population has declined sharply in recent years due to habitat loss. The image received a Gold Award in the Best Portrait category. Picture: Thomas Deliberto

A male western parotia performs an elaborate courtship dance in the dark rainforest of Mingre, West Papua, Indonesia, in this photograph titled Tiny Dancer by Australian photographer David Stowe. The bird-of-paradise displays its distinctive movements in a dazzling attempt to attract a female. The photograph received a Bronze Award in the Best Portrait category. Picture: David Stowe

A juvenile bald eagle spreads its wings in relentless rain in Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest in this photograph titled Spread Eagle by British photographer Mark Carwardine. Spotted from a Zodiac boat travelling along a forest inlet, the eagle maintained its posture despite the downpour. Eagles often spread their wings to dry their feathers or cool down, although the persistent rain made this a challenging task. The photograph received a Silver Award in the Bird Behaviour category. Picture: Mark Carwardine

A short-eared owl flies over the salt marshes of British Columbia’s Fraser River Delta in Canada, turning its head towards the camera in this photograph by Swedish photographer Ivan Sjögren. Captured at dusk, the image was taken after Sjögren positioned himself in the grass to anticipate the owls’ hunting routes. The photograph, titled Eye-to-Eye with a Short-Eared Owl, received a Gold Award in the Birds in Flight category. Picture: Ivan Sjögren

A Eurasian bittern flies between reedbeds against the light of the rising sun in Dąbrowa Górnicza, Poland, in this photograph titled Lord of the Reedbeds by Polish photographer Patryk Kurc. The image was captured from a floating hide, offering a glimpse of one of Poland’s most secretive bird species in flight. The photograph received a Bronze Award in the Birds in Flight category. Picture: Patryk Kurc