The Winners of the 2022 Bird Photographer of the Year Competition

2022 Bird Photographer
ROCK PTARMIGAN FLIGHT | Erlend Haarberg, Norway. | GOLD AWARD WINNER AND BIRD PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR.

The Bird Photographer of the Year 2022 competition have been announced, with top honors awarded to Norwegian photographer Erlend Haarberg for his photo of a rock ptarmigan in winter plumage taking flight above snow-covered mountains.

Bird Photographer of the Year says it has conservation at its heart. This year, the competition donated more than £5,000 to partner charity Birds on the Brink, which provides vital funding to grass-roots bird conservation projects around the world.

The competition sees entries from all over the world, and this year more than 20,000 images were submitted for a chance to win the title of Bird Photographer of the Year and take home a £5,000 grand prize (about $5,789).

Norwegian photographer Erlend Haarberg’s photo (above) which depicts a rock ptarmigan flying above a mountainous winter scene in Tysforden, Norway was declared the grand prize winner. The photo also won Gold in the Birds in the Environment category.

“High up in the mountains, the wind, snow and cold maintain the iron grip of winter for many months on end. This is where Rock Ptarmigan thrive in an endless white landscape,” says Haarberg. “On this particular winter’s day, I was on my way to a mountain top. I had almost reached the summit when I spotted some ptarmigan tracks in the snow. Soon a bird took flight, with the dramatic backdrop showing what a harsh environment this bird calls home.”

The Young Bird Photographer of the Year 2022 was awarded to 17-year-old Swiss photographer Levi Fitze for his image of a dunlin struggling against a sandstorm.

BPOTY
FACING THE STORM |
Levi Fitze, Switzerland | GOLD AWARD WINNER AND YOUNG BIRD PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE
YEAR.

Below are all of the winning images across eight categories: Best Portrait, Birds in the Environment, Attention to Detail, Bird Behaviour, Birds in Flight, Black and White, Urban Birds, and Creative Imagery.

Best Portrait

2022 Bird Photographer
STRUT PERFORMER |
Ly Dang, United States of America | GOLD AWARD WINNER.
2022 Bird Photographer
PUFFIN LOVE |
Brad James, Canada | SILVER AWARD WINNER.
2022 Bird Photographer
THE DOTING COUPLE | Richard Flack, South Africa. | BRONZE AWARD WINNER.

Birds in the Environment

2022 Bird Photographer
KALEIDOSCOPE |
Paul Mckenzie, Ireland. | SILVER AWARD WINNER.
2022 Bird Photographer
FREE AS A BIRD | Mario Suarez Porras, Spain | BRONZE AWARD WINNER.

Attention to Detail

2022 Bird Photographer
SLEEPING BEAUTY | Andy Pollard, Falkland Islands | GOLD AWARD WINNER.
2022 Bird Photographer
CRAZY | Isabella Chowra, Sweden | SILVER AWARD WINNER.
2022 Bird Photographer
BEADS OF DIAMONDS | Sue Dougherty, United States of America | BRONZE AWARD WINNER.

Bird Behaviour

2022 Bird Photographer
DUELING ON THE LEK | Peter Ismert, United States of America | GOLD AWARD WINNER.
2022 Bird Photographer
GUILLEMOT SWIMMERS | Henley Spiers, United Kingdom | SILVER AWARD WINNER.
2022 Bird Photographer
WAXWING SILHOUETTE | Simon d’Entremont, Canada | BRONZE AWARD WINNER.

Birds in Flight

2022 Bird Photographer
SILO MURAL |
Raoul Slater, Australia | GOLD AWARD WINNER.
2022 Bird Photographer
STARLING AT NIGHT | Mark Williams, United Kingdom | SILVER AWARD WINNER.
2022 Bird Photographer
SCHALOW’S TURACO | Aaron Baggenstos, United States of America | BRONZE AWARD WINNER.

Black and White

2022 Bird Photographer
BETWEEN TWO WORLDS | Henley Spiers, United Kingdom | GOLD AWARD WINNER.
2022 Bird Photographer
THE GUARDIAN OF MORDOR | Paweł Smolik, Poland | SILVER AWARD WINNER
2022 Bird Photographer
WINTER SWANS |
Tomasz Sczansny, Poland | BRONZE AWARD WINNER.

Urban Birds

2022 Bird Photographer
OVER THE CITY | Ammar Alsayed Ahmed, United Arab Emirates | GOLD AWARD WINNER.
2022 Bird Photographer
GONZO | Laszlo Potozky, Romania | SILVER AWARD WINNER.
2022 Bird Photographer
THE OWLET AND THE DUMP | Kerry Wu, United States of America | BRONZE AWARD WINNER.

Creative Imagery

2022 Bird Photographer
VAN GOGH’S STORKS
| Petro Katerynych, Ukraine | GOLD AWARD WINNER.
2022 Bird Photographer
FISHY BUSINESS |
Janine Lee, United Kingdom | SILVER AWARD WINNER.
2022 Bird Photographer
SANDHILL CRANE FLIGHT TEAM AIR SHOW | Wei Lian, United States of America | BRONZE AWARD WINNER.

To see all the entries and read descriptions of the photos, be sure to check out the competition website.


Image credits: All photos individually credited and provided courtesy of the Bird Photographer of the Year competition.

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