Flutter speed! Cheeky hummingbirds, camouflaged owls and a stunning hoopoe in flight are among the jaw-dropping winners at the 2020 bird photographer of the year awards
Bird Photographer of the Year has announced its 2020 winner for the fifth year of the prestigious competition's running.
The judging team said that most of the 15,000 images entered into the competition are 'of an amazing standard, sufficient eye-candy to feed even the most visually gluttonous'.
But only one person can take the title 'bird photographer of the year 2020' and this year it was Majed Ali for his impressionistic image of a European Shag taken in Vardø, Norway.
Majed's picture, entitled End of the Day, won the Kuwaiti photographer £5,000 and his new, esteemed title.
The same photograph also won Best Portrait category of the competition and for that he won a pair of Swarovski Optik binoculars.
Majed Ali's End of the Day photograph, showing a European Shag taken in Vardø, Norway, won Best Portrait Gold and Overall Winner Of Bird Photographer Of The Year 2020
Majed said: 'I was thrilled to receive the news that I had won the prestigious award Bird Photographer of the Year 2020.
'It was also wonderful to receive the news about the conservation drive being undertaken by BPOTY and the launch of its charity owner Birds on the Brink.
'It is great news to think that the artistry of my image will not only inspire fellow photographers but will also help spread the conservation message far and wide.'
The competition's judging team said: 'To win this competition it takes a very special photograph.
'Technical perfection is simply not enough; it is the imaginative eye and a mind that seeks out the unusual and the artistic in the everyday that will do well.
'Create a photograph that makes us sick with envy or cry out with uncontained excitement, then you are in with a chance.
'When that collective shout from the judges is: "I wish I had taken that myself", then you are onto a winner.
'Well done Majed.'
Creative Imagery
Winning images in this category often include those that are taken using creative camera techniques such as slow shutter speeds and panning for fast-moving birds.
As opposed to other categories where there are rules about digital editing the competition 'actively encourages you to use your skills and imagination to create images utilising the full potential of today's modern digital darkroom techniques'.
UK photographer James Hudson's Mandarin Abstract showed mandarin ducks by experimenting with camera movement during the exposer. James was the competition's Creative Imagery Gold winner
Terje Kolaas, from Norway, took Phalarope Reflections and won Creative Imagery Silver. Terje made an amusing video thanking the competition for the award and joking that he would never have submitted an image if he knew he would have to make a selfie video
Chengbo Sun, from China, won Creative Imagery Bronze with Make-Up showing a composition of a little egret and lotus leaves
Best Portrait
This category looks for pictures that 'best captures the character of the subject bird and its distinctive features'.
The judges look for detail, poses, diagnostic features or behaviour.
Greg Lecoeur, from France, was Best Portrait Silver winner for his underwater photograph, Cormorant Underwater View. 'What an incredible picture. Simply stunning,' the judges said.
Best Portrait Bronze winner was 'A Dipper In The Mirror' by Terje Kolaas, Norway. Terje said he was very honoured and recorded his video while he was on his way to site to take photos for next year's competition
Young Bird Photographer Of The Year
This category is 'the encouragement and recognition of the younger generation of birders and photographers'.
Ismael Domínguez Gutiérrez, from Spain, aged 11, won was the Young Bird Photographer of the Year 9-13 Years Old winner for Back-Lighting, showing a crested tit in Grazalema, Andalusia, Spain
'Asian Green Bee-Eater Pair won seven-year-old Deeksha Diya Sambath, from India Young Bird Photographer Of The Year 0-8 Years Old
17-year-old Adam Lake, from the UK, won Young Bird Photographer Of The Year 14-17 Years Old
Attention To Detail
This category 'focuses on the smaller details of a bird'.
The judges look for images that portray parts of birds people would not usually see in everyday circumstances.
Attention to Detail Gold was won by Moshe Cohen, from Israel, for his photo of the scops owl in Perfect Camouflage. 'In my photography I look for the magical symbiosis between the bird and its habitat,' said Mosche.
The Attention to Detail Silver winner was Mathias Putze, from Germany, for his photograph of an ocellated turkey in Guatemala called Rainbow Of The Forest. Mathias said: 'I am a birdwatcher more than a photographer. I love birds and taking pictures of them is just to try and bring them closer to people.'
Francis De Andrés, from Spain, won Attention to Detail Bronze for Gannet Flower taken in Ireland. Francis thanked the competition and congratulated all the other winners
Birds In The Environment
Birds in the Environment is an opportunity for photographers to show the relationship between the bird and the space in which the bird is usually found.
Swifts Over Iguazu Fall, shot in Argentina, won Italian Francesco Filippo Pellegrini Birds in the Environment Gold. Shockingly this was one of Francesco's first experiences with a camera
Hawk Owl In A Mountain Forest won Pål Hermansen, from Norway, Birds in the Environment Silver. Pål is well-known to the judges as he had produced many photographs for the competition in the past
Swayamsiddha Mohapatra, from India, won Bronze for A New Beginning. The heat in forest fires drives out insects and this common Indian bird was opportunistically waiting for food
Birds in Flights
Judges look for 'knowledge and control of the camera settings to freeze the action or introduce motion blur' in Birds in Flights photographs.
They want photographers to take advantage of the digital technology of today that have 'revolutionised flight photography'.
Hoopoe Flight At Low Speed was taken by Gadi Shmila, from Israel, and won gold in the Birds in Flights category. Gadi is a carpenter and has a BA in biology but has spent hours watching birds since he was a child
The Birds in Flights Silver Winner was 'Touch And Go' by Nikos Fokas, from Greece. 'I feel proud that my picture was selected amongst so many other beautiful bird pictures,' said Nikos
Chinese Shu Qing won Birds in Flight Bronze for Fairy Landing On Earth, an impressionistic image of flying cooper swans. The judges called the photograph 'beautiful'
Black and White
This is a new category introduced this year to 'celebrate the simplicity and drama of the monochrome image' despite the fact that many birds are extremely colourful.
'Single Room Available' by Robert Sommer, from Germany, won Black and White Gold. Robert took this image in the Netherlands last year and then converted into black and white because there was not very much colour in the original photograph
Swedish Daniel Stenberg won Black and White Silver for Great Grey Owl. Similarly to other photographers, Stenberg wished viewers of his photograph well and told everyone to stay safe during the pandemic
Pyrography by Juan Pablo Plaza Pozo, from Spain, won Black and White Bronze. Juan dedicated his photograph to other photographers who had inspired him and taught him
Bird Behaviour
Judges have said photographs in this category should 'invoke an emotional response' by 'depicting the unique aspects of bird behaviour'.
Nutcrackers Fighting In The Snow by Roelof Molenaar, from the Netherlands, won Gold in Bird Behaviour
The Bird Behaviour Silver winner was Greg Lecoeur, from France, for Feeding Frenzy. This image of diving cape gannets was Greg's second award this year (he also won silver for Best Portrait)
Ropewalker by Swedish Nicolas Reusens won Bronze. Nicolas said the picture took him almost seven days to capture after he saw the behaviour online and was inspired
Garden and Urban Birds
This category 'celebrates the relationship between birds and people' and looks for creative representations of how the two co-exist.
Magdaléna Straková, from the Czech Republic, won Garden and Urban Birds gold for Photobombing A Game
The Old Ship won Spanish photographer silver
Electric, taken by Spanish Carlos Cifuentes in the last light of the day, won bronze. After Carlos thanked the judges he said: 'I would also like to send to everyone a message of encouragement, in this difficult time we are living through'
Best Portfolio
Judges looks at entries of groups of six photographs and award best portfolio to the group that 'showcases diversity of technique while demonstrating consistency of skill and talent'.
Georgina Steytler, from Australia, won Best Portfolio for The Preen and her five other photos. She said knew how lucky she was to live in such a beautiful part of the world and to win the award
Pacific Gull Blur. This award was sponsored by Olympus who have given Georgina a new Olympus camera which she said she cannot wait to get her hands on
On The Run
On the Attack
White on White
The Shake
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