With stunning looks and captivating behaviors, birds enthrall us when they cross our path. We may spend hours or years seeking them out—or stumble upon them in a stroke of luck. Often we simply stop to appreciate an everyday scene with fresh eyes. Regardless of the effort invested, all meaningful experiences with birds require a common ingredient: our attention. Through their sharp eyes and lenses, the photographers and videographers who submitted nearly 10,000 entries to this year’s contest shared the fruits of their boundless attention with us. In a world filled with distractions, that’s a gift. Take time to notice the details in the images honored here—selected by three expert panels judging anonymous files—and revel in what you might otherwise miss.
GRAND PRIZE
PHOTOGRAPHER
Jack Zhi, amateur
SPECIES
White-tailed Kite
LOCATION
Costa Mesa, California
CAMERA
Sony a9ii with Sony 600mm f/4.0 lens with a Sony FE 2x Teleconverter; 1/3200 second at f/8; ISO 800
BEHIND THE SHOT
I studied White-tailed Kite behavior for three years before I got this closeup. It was a challenge to get the action, distance, lighting, and angles of the individuals all right at the same time. The father, who teaches his fledglings to hunt, held a vole in his talons. The fledgling flew in and, in a blink, grabbed the rodent as the father let go. Wildlife does spectacular things—people walk by without even knowing. My passion is to capture that beauty and behavior and share it with people who don’t have the time to see it in nature.
BIRD LORE
Graceful grassland fliers of North and South America, White-tailed Kites feed mainly on mice, voles, and other small mammals. Some other raptors seek such prey by watching from a perch or soaring slowly across the landscape, but this bird does
