The Society of the International Nature and Wildlife Photographers has just announced the winners of the SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year 2024 competition. Organized in support of the RSPB, this competition helps to showcase some of the best wildlife photography from around the world.
With over 2,300 entries, the judges saw a huge range of feathered species from around the world. The overall winner was Hira Punjabi from Maharashtra in India, whose dramatic image shows a parakeet attacking the tail of a monitor lizard up a tree.
His winner was shot with his Nikon Z9 and Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S TC supertelephoto lens.
The photo was taken in Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India in January 2024. "This is a bird sanctuary where many migratory birds come in winter," Punjabi explains. "January is a very cold month, and often there is mist and fog. I have been going there for 30 years and have observed this behavior of birds attacking snakes and lizards as they feed on the birds' eggs. This time, I was lucky, after observing the same tree for four days. One morning, a pair of Parakeets started attacking the lizards. The whole drama lasted for an hour or so, and I managed to shoot many images, but this one is my favorite.’’
The second prize went to Thomas McDonnell from County Antrim, Northern Ireland. His shot of a red grouse in flight was shot near Ballycastle, using a Canon EOS R3 with a Canon RF 400mm f/2.8L IS lens.
"A friend of mine told me he had seen grouse in the area so I decided to use my free time to look for them," explains McDonnell. "Over a period of a few months of looking, I eventually came across two males and a female. The males were calling at one another and flying across the road where I was parked, I watched them for an hour or so taking photos from the car. I decided to get out of the car as I was restricted in my movements, the birds seem to not care of my presence so I stood beside the car as one of the birds came right at me to go across the road to investigate the other bird, luckily I was able to to get the shot as it flew across the road."
The third place went to Maggie Bullock from Cheshire, England. Her shot of a Great Grey Owl landing in the show was shot with an OM System OM-1 Mk II and a Zuiko 150-400mm f/4.5 telephoto zoom near Kuusamo, Finland. "The bird flew down to take a dead mouse and I managed to take a few shots of it approaching and landing," she explans. "It was wonderful to see this wild bird in its natural environment against a snowy background. Taken from a raised path, where a step to either side would have resulted in sinking into deep snow, the shot was handheld using a fast shutter speed of 1/2000sec to capture the action".
The competition has raised over £16,000 for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds over the seven years of the contest. See all the entries for the SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year 2024 contest.
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