Parakeet Flies Into Top Spot at SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year

The results are in for SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year 2024 competition! Now in its seventh year, this contest has grown into a brilliant showcase of birdlife from all corners of the globe. Beyond celebrating photography, this year's competition has raised over £13,200 to aid crucial conservation efforts spearheaded by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

The 2024 contest drew over 2,300 entries from photographers around the world, each capturing the incredible variety and splendour of the avian world. The winning image, captured by Hira Punjabi from India, captures a dramatic moment where a defensive parakeet clamps down on a monitor lizard’s tail.

First Place
Parakeet Biting monitor lizard
Image © Hira Punjabi / SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year

The winning image was captured at Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India. Over his 30 years of visiting the park, Punjabi has observed interactions between birds and predators, particularly their behaviour when defending nests from threats like snakes and lizards. This photograph was the result of four days spent watching the activity around a dry tree. As Hira recalls, “One morning a pair of parakeets, along with some 10 or 12 birds, started attacking the lizard. The whole drama lasted for an hour or so. I had managed to shoot many images, but this one is my favourite.”

Second place went to Thomas McDonnell from Northern Ireland for his photo of a red grouse in flight, taken in the North Antrim Hills near Ballycastle.

Second Place
Untitled (photo of a red grouse)
Image © Thomas McDonnell / SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year

McDonnell spent months searching for the elusive grouse and eventually spotted two males and a female. As the males called to each other and flew across the road near where he was parked, McDonnell observed from his car before deciding to get out for a better angle. The birds, unbothered by his presence, allowed him to capture the perfect shot as one of the males flew directly at him to cross the road.

Third place got snatched up by Maggie Bullock from England, with her stunning image entitled "Great Grey Owl Landing in Snow."

Third Place
Great Grey Owl Landing in Snow
Image © Maggie Bullock / SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year

Maggie captured this remarkable shot in Finland, near Kuusamo, as the owl swooped down to pick up a dead mouse. She managed to snap a few photos as the bird approached and landed against the snowy backdrop.

The competition judges also had their own favourites which were selected in the Judges' Choice Awards category.