The winners of the Bird Photographer of the Year 2026 competitors have been revealed. The grand prize recipient is a picture of a northern gannet bursting by the floor of the ocean, taken by photographer Henley Spiers from the United Kingdom.
Photographers from around the globe competed in eight classes within the grownup competitors and three classes within the youth competitors, with the competitors receiving greater than 24,000 photographs.
“In a world where AI-generated imagery is becoming increasingly common, this year’s winners are a powerful reminder of the value of authenticity,” mentioned Will Nicholls, the director of Bird Photographer of the Year.
“Every image in the competition represents a real moment in the wild, earned through patience, dedication and a genuine connection with nature. People will always value real stories told by real people, and this year’s extraordinary photographs celebrate the beauty, wonder and authenticity of our natural world.”
Overall winner, Adult
A northern gannet (Morus bassanus) appears to burst by the solar because it pierces down by the water. Shetland, Scotland, United Kingdom. Credit: Henley Spiers/Bird Photographer of the Year
Overall winner, Youth
Moonlit night time and a fantastic horned owl (Bubo virginianus). Los Gatos, California, United States. Credit: Parham Pourahmad/Bird Photographer of the Year
Best Portrait winner
A male larger sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) throughout its courtship show. Utah, United States. Credit: Thomas Deliberto/Bird Photographer of the Year
Bird Behaviour winner
Rain threads by the forest. Camouflaged towards bark and shadow, a fledgling tawny frogmouth (Podargus strigoides) stretches its wings in what appears like masking its different siblings from the water droplets. Perth, Australia. Credit: Donald Chin/Bird Photographer of the Year
Birds in Flight winner
A brief-eared owl (Asio flammeus) programs over the salt marshes of British Columbia’s Fraser River Delta, Canada. Credit: Ivan Sjögren/Bird Photographer of the Year
Black and Whitewinner
An ostrich (Struthio camelus) makes its method in direction of the dry lake mattress of Amboseli, Kenya. Credit: Rahul Sachdev/Bird Photographer of the Year
Urban Birdswinner
In Rome, Italy, tall buildings operate for yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis) very like coastal cliffs, providing nesting, roosts and perches to outlive throughout the metropolis. Credit: Gianluca Diamiani/Bird Photographer of the Year
Conservation winner
An ideal blue heron (Ardea herodias) with a bobber and fishing line round its beak. Washington, Warren County, NJ, US. Credit: Kent Stuart/Bird Photographer of the Year
Creative Perspectiveswinner
On a blazing summer season day, a standard swift (Apus apus) slices by the air, captured in an in-camera a number of publicity mirrored within the shiny roof of a blue automotive. Oslo, Norway. Credit: Åsmund Keilen/Bird Photographer of the Year
11 and below class winner
The emerald eye of a fantastic cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo). London, United Kingdom. Credit: Alberto Román Gómez/Bird Photographer of the Year
12-14 years class winner
An acrobat of the skies, the red-necked phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus). Rost, Lofoten, Norway. Credit: Paula Czaeczine/Bird Photographer of the Year
