Winged Wonders: Jaw-Dropping Winners of the Bird Photography Contest Revealed

（＆ＮＮ） The 2024 Bird Photographer of the Year award was awarded for works such as a peregrine falcon chasing a butterfly, a lesser vulture preying on a black bear, and a penguin surfing.

The competition, now in its ninth year, celebrates the beauty of birds while also drawing attention to the threats they face. Canadian photographer Patricia Homonillo won the grand prize for her stunning photo of more than 4,000 birds that died after colliding with windows and reflective surfaces in Toronto.

A study published in August found that more than 1 billion birds die each year in the United States after colliding with windows. Homoniro, a photojournalist who works with groups that work to protect birds from fatal accidents, wanted to visualize the tragedy. He and his team arranged the dead birds in concentric circles, with the largest bird in the middle.

To birds, reflective surfaces can appear like an extension of the landscape, resulting in many birds rushing into windows at full speed. Precautions such as visual markers such as bird-safe stickers and film can help prevent accidents.

One of the main motivations behind this annual competition is conservation. The competition is in partnership with Birds on the Brink, a charity that funds grassroots bird conservation efforts around the world. Almost half of the world’s bird species are in decline, with one in eight at risk of extinction, according to BirdLife International’s latest report on the state of the world’s birds.

Competition director Will Nichols says the competition allows people to see things they wouldn’t see on their own. “Making people aware of what’s at the top of the tree is an important step in getting people to care about the natural world. Human beings are visual creatures, and photographs are extremely powerful in conveying messages.

Photographers from all over the world submitted over 23,000 photos and competed in eight categories.