The world’s most spectacular bird photos of 2025 have been announced – Here are the Winners

Canadian photographer Liron Gertsman has been named the Bird Photographer of the Year 2025 for his striking image of a magnificent frigatebird silhouetted against a total solar eclipse over Mazatlán, Mexico. The photograph, captured after more than a year of planning, took the top honour in the world’s largest bird photography competition.

The winning image, titled The Frigatebird and the Diamond Ring, was shot with a Canon EOS R5 paired with a Canon RF 100–500mm f/4.5–7.1 lens (400mm, 1/4,000s, f/7.1, ISO 10,000). Selected from more than 33,000 entries submitted worldwide, the shot also claimed the Birds in Flight gold award and earned Gertsman the £3,500 grand prize.

"I spent well over a year of planning to capture my dream of a bird in front of the total solar eclipse," said Gertsman. "I enlisted the help of a boat to position myself near some islets off Mazatlán that were frequented by seabirds. As the moon uncovered the sun’s edge at the end of totality, I captured this image during the eclipse phase known as the ‘diamond ring’ – a moment that lasts mere seconds."

Judges praised both the technical execution and the vision behind the shot. "Exceptional bird photography takes technical excellence, artistic vision, and dedication," said Will Nicholls, Director of Bird Photographer of the Year. "When everything comes together, you get a spectacular image like this one. In a world increasingly filled with AI imagery, it’s refreshing to celebrate a picture that is both awe-inspiring and rooted in the natural world."

The Young Bird Photographer of the Year 2025 award went to 16-year-old Tomasz Michalski from Poland for his minimalist composition Minimalist Wings, depicting a black vulture with outstretched wings in Nicaragua.

Michalski captured the image with an Olympus E-M1 Mark II paired with a Leica 100–400mm f/4–6.3 lens (400mm, 1/320s, f/22, ISO 125) during what he described as "the biggest trip of my life" to Central America in July 2024.

"I saw this big vulture drying its wings on a pole close to our hotel," he recalled. "I was being watched by the bird but it was very calm so I had a long time to photograph it. The scenery wasn’t beautiful, so I decided to frame it with only part of the bird being in the photo. I tried various combinations and this one is my favourite."

The pared-back silhouette, reduced to shape and form against the sky, impressed judges for its maturity of vision and sense of restraint; qualities rarely seen in photographers of his age. The award highlights BPOTY’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of wildlife photographers.

Category Winners – Bird Photographer of the Year 2025

Birds in Flight & Overall Winner: Liron Gertsman (Canada)

Best Portrait: Steffen Foerster (Germany)

Bird Behaviour: Francesco Guffanti (Italy)

Birds in the Environment: Franco Banfi (Switzerland)

Black and White: Jannik Jansons (Germany)

Creative Perspectives: Philipp Egger (Italy)

Urban Birds: Alex Pansier (Netherlands)

Conservation (Single Image): Sarthak Agrawal (India)

Young Bird Photographer of the Year 2025: Tomasz Michalski (Poland, 16 years old)

With entries already open for 2026, BPOTY continues to celebrate not just technical skill and creativity, but also the spirit of conservation and storytelling that lies at the heart of wildlife photography.

From awe-inspiring solar eclipses to the quiet elegance of a young vulture, the competition showcases the remarkable ways photographers can capture and inspire a deeper connection with the natural world.

The full list of winners can be found on the official Bird Photographer of the Year website.

Now in its tenth year, Bird Photographer of the Year (BPOTY) has become a global showcase for avian imagery and conservation storytelling. This year, the competition donated over £5,000 (around $6,700) to its partner charity, Birds on the Brink, which supports grassroots bird conservation projects worldwide.

All winning and commended images are published in a new coffee-table book by Princeton University Press, with a foreword by naturalist Nigel Marven. The hardback is available now for £35 via birdpoty.com.

If you have been inspired to give bird photography a go, you might want to check out our guides to the best cameras for wildlife photography and the best lenses for bird photography.