A few months ago we already gave you a preview of some of the photos that were opting to take the title of “Best Bird Photographer of 2021” in what is possibly the most important photography contest in this discipline. We talk about the contest Bird Photographer of the Year which has presented the final results of its sixth edition and gives us spectacular photos of birds.
In addition to give prominence to birds and celebrate its beauty and diversity (in other competitions birds are usually included in the categories dedicated to animals in general), one of the peculiarities of this contest of British origin is that it allocates a large part of its profits to Birds on the Brink, a charity dedicated to the conservation of these animals.
Be that as it may, this contest is structured around eight categories, including special awards for the best young photographer, the best portfolio and the best project on bird conservation. And of course we have the general award, called ‘Bird Photographer of the Year‘and endowed with 5,000 pounds in metalic.
An amount that this year has gone to the Mexican Alejandro Prieto for the photo you have seen on the cover (with which I also won the category ‘Birds in the Environment‘) and that stood out among the more than 22 thousand images submitted to competition. Is named ‘Blocked‘and shows a roadrunner bird stopped dead by the border wall that separates the United States and Mexico.
An image that, according to the press release, immediately caught the attention of the judges: “It is not the typical photograph of a bird, and the story behind the image is very strong […] The roadrunner looks so vulnerable in the face of the massive border wall that dominates the frame“. For his part, the author comments as“the border wall cuts through deserts, mountains, and even mangroves. It is not just a desert, in fact it is very biodiverse with more than 1,500 species of animals and plants threatened by the wall.“.
Refering to Spanish participationIf last year there were four who achieved an award, in 2021 we have to congratulate ourselves because the number has risen to five: Felipe Foncueva, winner in category ‘Underwater Portrait‘, Rafael Armada, winner in ‘Attention to Detail‘, Nicolas Reusens, second in category ‘Birds in flight‘, Andrés L. Domínguez Blanco, winner in the category ‘Young – 9 to 13 years old’, and finally Daniel Martinez, runner-up in the category ‘Young – 14 to 17 years old’.
Of course we congratulate all the winners (especially the Spanish) and we leave you with the winning images. And as always, we recommend the obligatory visit to its website to see more great photographs of birds.
Winners of the 2021 Bird Photographer of the Year contest
Overall winner ‘Bird Photographer of the Year’: Alejandro Prieto (Mexico)
Young Bird Photographer of the Year Award Winner: Morning Lek ‘by Levi Fitze (Switzerland)
‘Best portfolio’ award winner: Kevin Morgans (UK)
Conservation Award Winner: Carla Rhodes (USA)
Category ‘Best Portrait’
First place: Felipe Foncueva (Spain)
Second place: Maofeng Shen (China)
Third place: Jonas Classon (Sweden)
Category ‘Birds in the Environment’
First place: Alejandro Prieto (Mexico)
Second place: Joshua Galicki (USA)
Third place: Barbara Fleming (USA)
Category ‘Attention to Detail’
First place: Rafael Armada (Spain)
Second place: Raymond Hennessy (USA)
Third place: Kerry Wu (USA)
Category ‘Bird Behavior’
First place: Mousam Ray (India)
Second place: Massimiliano Apollo (Italy)
Third place: Julie Halliday (Falkland Islands)
Category ‘Birds in Flight’
First place: Tzahi Finkelstein (Israel)
Second place: Nicolas Reusens (Spain)
Third place: Hannes Lochner (South Africa)
Category ‘Black and White’
First place: Renato Granieri (UK)
Second place: James Rogerson (UK)
Third place: Nathalie Chanteau (France)
Category ‘Garden and Urban Birds’
First place: Terry Whittaker (UK)
Second place: William Steel (South Africa)
Third place: Paolo Crocetta (Italy)
Category ‘Creative Imagery’
First place: Ruediger Schulz (Germany)
Second place: Kathryn Cooper (UK)
Third place: Ruth Hughes (UK)
More information and photos | Bird Photographer of the Year
Cover photo | ‘Blocked’ by Alejandro Prieto, ‘Bird Photographer of the Year 2021’