The result of more than a year of planning and about a week of in-person scouting along the coast of Sinaloa, Mexico, a precisely timed portrait of a Magnificent frigatebird flying in front of a total solar eclipse was captured by Canadian photographer Liron Gertsman. Winner of the 2025 Bird Photographer of the Year competition, Gertsman’s image demonstrates the effort and time that goes into documenting some of the world’s most remarkable birds.
This year’s contest saw more than 33,000 entries from photographers all over the world, including three youth categories. With conservation at the heart of its mission, the competition also donated more than £5,000 to Birds on the Brink, a charity that funds grassroots efforts to benefit avians.
Categories like Urban Birds, Best Portrait, and Birds in the Environment showcase a wide range of the feathered creatures’ behaviors and habitats. Steffen Foerster’s portrayal of a bloody-faced Southern giant petrel, for example, gets up-close-and-personal with the tube-nosed seabird after it’s enjoyed a hearty meal. And Luca Lorenz focuses on the beady eye of a tough Alpine chough in the middle of a snowstorm in the Swiss Alps. Benoit Henrion peeks back at a trio of Western barn owls that have staked out niches in a church in France, and Baiju Patil captures a group of Barn swallows darting above vibrant marigolds in India.
Explore the winners’ gallery on the contest’s website, where you can also purchase a book of this year’s top photos, published by Princeton University Press. The 2026 competition is also now open for entries.
giganteus), Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands (Malvinas)
