Wild Photos from the Bird Photographer of the Year Contest

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“Red-crowned crane pairs are faithful to one another throughout the year, and even during the winter months they engage in behavior designed to strengthen the bond. Birds perform dual honking rituals and an elaborate dance, and this is much appreciated by photographers who make the pilgrimage to see them in Japan,” photographer Li Ying Lou said of the experience shooting this photo. “In order to capture the mood and convey a sense of the occasion to those looking at this photograph, I rushed to the photographic site at dawn. On my eighth attempt, I finally did photographic justice to the calling birds, with their breath vaporized by the cold air.” (©Li Ying Lou/Bird Photographer of the Year)

From the honking rituals of Japan's red-crowned cranes, to a great grey owl diving head first into a snowy field, to a surfing gentoo penguin, photographers from around the world submitted photos to the Bird Photographer of the Year 2021 competition to show off the bird behaviors and beauty they caught on camera.

The contest, based in the U.K., received more than 22,000 entries this year to compete for £5,000.

The winners will be announced September 1, and an upcoming coffee table book will feature the best images from the 2021 competition.

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This is the contest's sixth year running. Bird Photographer of the Year helps to support grassroots conservation projects through its charity partner Birds on the Brink. Together, the contest and organization aim to inspire environmentalism through the use of stunning, world class photography.

Click through the slideshow above for a sneak peek of some of the awe-inspiring photos from this year's contest.

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

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