Outstanding Bird Photography - Bird Photographer of the Year

September 6, 2023 10:37 AM

There are some gorgeous photographs among the winners of the 2023 Bird Photographer of the Year.

I think the Guardian story has the best presentation:

Bird photographer of the year 2023 winners – in pictures, The Guardian

but other sites have coverage, too:

Bird Photographer of the Year 2023 Highlights Avian Attitudes and Winged Wonders Around the World, Kate Mothes, Colossal
Bird Photographer of the Year 2023 winners announced, BBC Wildlife Magazine
Winners of the Bird Photographer of the Year 2023, Alan Taylor, The Atlantic
Bird Photography Awards: Check out 2023's winners, BBC News

I do think "Glistening Green" is pretty great, but I might be especially partial to "Coming Storm."

posted by kristi (10 comments total)

It's remarkable how they can operate those fancy cameras with just wings and a beak. Very impressive. Congratulations to all the bird photographers. They're all winners in my book!
posted by Naberius at 10:56 AM on September 6, 2023 [19 favorites]

I LOVE BIRBS
posted by Kitteh at 10:58 AM on September 6, 2023 [3 favorites]

These are all flippin’ aces!
posted by Going To Maine at 11:17 AM on September 6, 2023

Amber Nestings no. 1
posted by Going To Maine at 11:18 AM on September 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

we gonna have a buhd poty up in heah!! buuuuuhd poty woo!

seriously lots of gorgeous and amazing shots in there. that falcon is gutsy!
posted by supermedusa at 11:22 AM on September 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

As somebody who played a LOT of the digital version of Wingspan (the popular card game inspired by birdwatching, previously featured on MeFi) I am quite tickled that the grand prize winner depicts my perennial strategic hangup: Predator birds that try to tackle prey way above their weight class/wingspan.
posted by Strange Interlude at 12:30 PM on September 6, 2023 [4 favorites]

Predator birds that try to tackle prey way above their weight class/wingspan.

With fall migration underway my local patch (The Bill Jarvis Bird Sanctuary in Chicago) has several very aggro ruby-throated hummingbirds that will fight anything including each other. Today one hovered in front of me in full threat display for about 10 seconds. Let's just say there is a wee weight different between the two of us! I've seen them chase everything up to and including a coopers hawk. I assume the only reason I haven't seen them chase an eagle or osprey is that there haven't been around yet. (I put my pictures up on the Chicago Ornithological Society Facebook group page if you want to see them).
posted by srboisvert at 12:54 PM on September 6, 2023 [3 favorites]

The inclusion of the Maltese hunter is a powerful one; the small island has the highest densities of hunters in the EU, and each Spring and Autumn - despite bag limits- hunting of any bird and all birds on a massive scale takes place. It's obviously an extremely emotive issue, as species such as Turtle Dove are on the brink of extinction in Europe but the hunt is seen as a tradition. Restrictions are seen as being imposed from outside against the traditional Maltese way of life.

It's a hugely emotive topic for everyone, while birds like Turtle Dove are on the brink of extinction in Europe due to it. I have worked with people who have worked in hunting monitoring and experienced violence after it turned out their bodyguards were actually part of the hunting fraternity. PIcking an image of a hunter is a brave one, and I can imagine plenty of birders up in arms about it, but I think it's a great one to raise the profile of this long-running issue.
posted by sarahdal at 12:55 PM on September 6, 2023 [3 favorites]

Thanks for that perspective, sarahdal - I found that image rather jarring, and I appreciate getting some more background.
posted by kristi at 1:02 PM on September 6, 2023 [1 favorite]

I’m a birder, who takes bird photos more as proof-of-life rather than art. One bad thing about getting really into the photography part of birding is the mentality competitive photographers have sometimes that “getting the shot” takes precedence over the comfort of the bird. The flamingoes in Ohio recently had some folks riled up because photographers were getting way too close (a dog ended up flushing them, I believe). Some bird sightings you don’t even share publicly (sensitive species and owls, mostly), for a lot of reasons but also so that they won’t be disturbed by throngs of people wanting to photograph them. There are guidelines on ethical bird photography. That being said, I spend a lot of time admiring bird photos both from my local bird friends and because all my algorithms know to show me bird pics. These are beautiful.
posted by oomny at 1:16 PM on September 6, 2023 [3 favorites]