See the Soaring Finalists of the Bird Photographer of the Year 2021 Contest

Bird Photographer of the Year 2021 Photo Contest

“Eurasian nuthatch” by Mark Williams. (Photo: © Mark Williams/Bird Photographer of the Year)

Wildlife photographers take some of the most adventurous and exciting shots. The recently released 2021 finalists of the Bird Photographer of the Year Awards are no exception. From a confrontation between an enormous eagle and a fox to an adorable fluffy duckling exploring its pond, this year's gallery is a collection of magical moments in the animal kingdom.

The Bird Photographer of the Year 2021 competition saw a stunning 22,000 entries from around the world. The hopeful photographers hailed from 73 countries. According to Will Nicholls, director of the competition, “The standard of photography was incredibly high, and the diversity in different species was great to see.” The final winning images in categories such as “Bird Behavior” and “Black and White” will be announced, alongside all winners, in September 2021. In addition to the Bird Photographer of the Year title, the ultimate winning photographer will take home a cash prize of £5,000 (~$6,900). The finalists—and other standout images from this year's competition—will also be included in a fine art book available on the BPOTY website.

The talented finalists include photographer James Wilcox, who captured a sweet moment between a juvenile American oystercatcher and its parent as it cracks open the crustaceans with a superior beak strength. Other feathery interactions recorded in the honored images are less cordial. Fahad Alenezi's shot of a white-tailed sea-eagle defending its kill from a fox is a dramatic—and beautiful—moment in a competitive food chain. Power and grace are on full display—including in Li Ying Lou's stunning image of red-crowned cranes dancing with their mates in the snow.

To stay tuned for the Bird Photographer of the Year 2022 competition and to find out the winner of the 2021 award, check out the BPOTY website. For conservation information, check out BPOTY's conservation effort, Birds on the Brink.

The Bird Photographer of the Year 2021 competition has announced its finalist images. Scroll down to see them.

“Great cormorant” by Tzahi Finkelstein. (Photo: © Tzahi Finkelstein/Bird Photographer of the Year)

“Black-and-white warbler” by Raymond Hennessy. (Photo: © Raymond Hennessy/Bird Photographer of the Year)

“American Oystercatcher” by James Wilcox. (Photo: © James Wilcox/Bird Photographer of the Year)

“Black-tailed godwits” by Anupam Chakraborty. (Photo: © Anupam Chakraborty/Bird Photographer of the Year)

“Black-crowned night-heron” by Daphne Wong. (Photo: © Daphne Wong/Bird Photographer of the Year)

“Great cormorant” by Irma Szabo. (Photo: © Irma Szabo/Bird Photographer of the Year)

“Tufted duck” by Brad James. (Photo: © Brad James/Bird Photographer of the Year)

“Fiery-throated Hummingbird” by Gail Bisson. (Photo: © Gail Bisson/Bird Photographer of the Year)

“Mallard duck” by Zdeněk Jakl. (Photo: © Zdeněk Jakl/Bird Photographer of the Year)

“Long-tailed tit” by Irene Waring. (Photo: © Irene Waring/Bird Photographer of the Year)

“Great grey owl” by Scott Suriano. (Photo: © Scott Suriano/Bird Photographer of the Year)

“White-tailed sea-eagle” by Fahad Alenezi. (Photo: © Fahad Alenezi/Bird Photographer of the Year)

“Red-crowned crane” by Li Ying Lou. (Photo: © Li Ying Lou/Bird Photographer of the Year)

“Atlantic puffin” by Øyvind Pedersen. (Photo: © Øyvind Pedersen/Bird Photographer of the Year)

“European shag” by Brian Matthews. (Photo: © Brian Matthews/Bird Photographer of the Year)

“Emperor penguins” by Thomas Vijayan. (Photo: © Thomas Vijayan/Bird Photographer of the Year)

“Bar-tailed Godwit” by Mario Suarez Porras. (Photo: © Mario Suarez Porras/Bird Photographer of the Year)

“Hooded crane” by Taku Ono. (Photo: © Taku Ono/Bird Photographer of the Year)

Untitled, by Gábor Li. (Photo: © Gábor Li/Bird Photographer of the Year)

“Southern giant petrel” by Eirik Grønningsæter. (Photo: © Eirik Grønningsæter/Bird Photographer of the Year)

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See the Soaring Finalists of the Bird Photographer of the Year 2021 Contest