Playful penguins to caged parrots: The winners of the Bird Photographer of the Year 2024

The Bird Photographer of the Year 2024 has revealed its winners, with Canadian photographer Patricia Homonylo taking the top prize for her poignant image, "When Worlds Collide."

The photograph, featuring over 4,000 birds that died after colliding with windows in Toronto, highlights the tragic impact of urban environments on bird populations.

“Each year more than one billion birds die in North America alone due to collisions with windows,” says Homonylo.

She adds: “I am a conservation photojournalist and have been working with the Fatal Light Awareness Program, where we save window-collision survivors in Toronto. Sadly, most of the birds we find are already dead. They are collected and at the end of the year we create this impactful display to honour the lives lost and increase public awareness.”

With over 23,000 entries from across the world, the competition’s 2024 edition showcased a stunning diversity of birdlife, from elegant swans and caged parrots, to hungry vultures and adorable penguins.

Here's a selection of our favourite winning images from this year's edition:

‘When Worlds Collide’ by Patricia Homonylo (Bird Photographer of the Year, overall winner )

‘Perspective’ by Andrés Luis Domínguez Blanco (Young Bird Photographer of the Year, overall winner)

'Winter Pink' by Alan Murphy (Portrait, 1st place)

'Swanception' by Samual Stone (Portrait, 2nd place)

'Immersion' by Kat Zhou (Birds in the Environment, 1st place)

'Feeding Frenzy' by Jonas Beyer (Birds in the Environment, 3rd place)

'Scavenger' by Nathaniel Peck (Bird Behaviour, 1st place)

'Playful Fledgling' by Jack Zhi (Bird Behaviour, 2nd place)

'Dawn's Whispers' by Hermis Haridas (Birds in Flight, 1st place)

'Eclipse' by William Steel (Black and White, 2nd place)

'Treacherous Journey' by Grzegorz Długosz (Urban Birds, 1st place)

'Crows Watching TV' by Tomáš Grim (Urban Birds, 3rd place)

'A Modern Dancer' by Nadia Haq (Comedy Bird Photo, 1st place)

'Open Door' by Robert Gloeckner (Comedy Bird Photo, 2nd place)

'Inmates' by Cheng Kang (Conservation (Single Image), 2nd place)