THE PASS Sue Morris, United Kingdom Category: Bird Behaviour 2023 I quickly grabbed my camera and captured the sequence of two of them completing a food pass. The pigeon was then dropped on the bonnet of a parked car, surprising the occupant.

SHORT-EARED OWLS FIGHTING FOR VOLE Tin Sang Chan, Canada Category: Bird Behaviour 2023 I was excited to witness two Short-eared Owls fighting over a vole. They locked their talons onto the prey and pulled in opposite directions.

BLEND INTO THE GREEN Anandhu Murali, India Category: Best Portrait 2023 After taking several photos from the roadside, I searched for a way to create a unique frame and found a tree with green leaves to use as the foreground.

FIGHTING Qingshun Liu, China Category: Bird Behaviour 2023 In this image, I managed to capture a fierce battle between Himalayan Vultures.

GOLDEN-TAILED SAPPHIRE Petr Bambousek, Czech Republic Category: Best Portrait 2023 I spotted a Golden-tailed Sapphire perched on a branch, preparing to sleep, and captured framed by the surrounding vegetation.

LITTLE STINT Ádám Ceglédi, Hungary Category: Best Portrait 2023 I was able to capture a stunning photograph of this bird during autumn at Hungary’s Lake Balaton, when numerous species of birds that migrate long distances take a break and rest on the lake.

BIG BUG Guenther Kieberger, Austria Category: Bird Behaviour 2023 It took a lot of effort to build a hide that was eye-level to this buzzard’s nest. Task complete, I sat concealed on a small chair attached to a tree trunk 5m off the ground.

WILLOW GROUSE IN ARCTIC WINTER LIGHT Markus Varesvuo, Finland As winter progresses towards spring, the Willow Grouse venture higher up into the open landscape. This photo captures a Willow Grouse in Utsjoki Fell, located in northeastern Lapland.

GOLDEN Bence Máté, Hungary Category: Best Portrait 2023 A Great White Egret ruffles its breeding plumage, shading the rising sun with its body. For years I have been trying to perfect ways of taking photographs that capture this sort of magical moment.

COOT AND THE CHICKS Vai Meng Chan, Hong Kong Category: Bird Behaviour 2023 Eurasian Coots are common wetland birds and relatively easy to find in the United Kingdom. I followed this coot family for over three weeks, visiting the location every other day.

FEED ME Nancy Koch, United States Category: Birds in the Environment 2023 A few days after hatching, the chick was led to the shoreline to feed on Coquina Clams (Donax variabilis) that both parents provided.

DAVID AND... Andrew Jenkins, South Africa Category: Birds in the Environment 2023 This image, taken from the cliff top, shows a furious ocean with a Cape Cormorant skimming over the water’s surface far below.

GENTOO RETURNING FROM FISHING Renato Granieri, Italy Category: Best Portrait 2023 While working as a guide on an expedition vessel, I had the opportunity to capture this shot of a solo Gentoo Penguin returning from a fishing trip.

BAR CODE Siegfried Woldhek, Netherlands A bittern leisurely walked across a field, fluffing up its neck feathers in a threatening pose towards an overflying Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus). As it reached a small reedbed, it stretched its neck and dissolved into the reeds.

SLEIGHT OF FEATHER Steve Lefkovits, United States Category: Birds in the Environment 2023 The Great Grey Owl blends into its surroundings superbly. When perched against a tree trunk, it’s as if it has donned an invisibility cloak.

DREAMED ENCOUNTER Alexandre Bès, France Category: Birds in the Environment 2023 As the sun rose, the parents took turns flying to gather food or twigs to reinforce their nest. In silence, I savoured the spectacle before me.

LONG TOES Simone Baumeister, Germany Category: Best Portrait 2023 Without the need for camouflage, I positioned myself carefully and took advantage of the setting sun’s position behind the godwit to capture the shot.

READY FOR A HANDSHAKE Jo Stenersen, Norway Category: Comedy Bird Photo Looking up, an owl was sitting right above me! As I lifted my camera to photograph it, the owl stretched out a leg as if to shake my hand. I captured the moment and got this image.

I KNOW HOW TO RUN Gad Shmila, Israel Category: Comedy Bird Photo 2023 While I was photographing a Common Snipe, a Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus) flew over me, most likely searching for its breakfast.

HOME SWEET HOME Warapot Theimsiri, Thailand. Category: Birds in the Environment 2023 During nesting season, the male Baya Weaver constructs a nest using coconut leaves and invites a female to inspect it.