This Is The Winner Of The 2019 Bird Photographer Of The Year Contest

UK photographer Caron Steele took the top prize as Bird Photographer of the Year with her stunning photo of a Dalmatian Pelican. The Bird Photographer of the Year contest, now in its fourth year, saw over 13,500 avian images submitted from 63 different countries. Steele’s winning photo was taken at Lake Kerkini, Greece which had frozen for the first time in 16 years. Steele seized this opportunity as she took the photo of a pelican attempting to navigate the Lake’s frozen surface for the first time. 

The competition, which aims for the public’s deeper understanding of birds worldwide, introduced more awards besides the top prize, as My Modern Met detailed:

The winning shots give the public a deeper understanding of the state of birds around the world today. To celebrate the inspiration that can come from contact with wildlife, BPOTY introduced a new special award for the 2019 competition. With his photograph of Emperor Penguins in Antarctica, Martin Grace was named the recipient of the inaugural Inspirational Encounters Award. In sharing his moving experience with these penguins, Grace celebrates the positive impact of the avian world on humanity.

image credit: Caron Steele via My Modern Met