Hen on a Wire and different successful images

The Hen Photographer of the Yr award has been introduced, with Canadian photographer Patricia Homonylo taking the highest prize for her thought-provoking photograph When Worlds Collide.

The photograph, taken in Toronto, beat greater than 23,000 entries to win.

This photograph exhibits greater than 4,000 birds killed by hitting metropolis home windows and different reflective surfaces.

“In North America alone, greater than a billion birds are killed every year by collisions with home windows,” Homonillo mentioned.

“I’m a conservation photojournalist who has been concerned with the Lethal Gentle Consciousness Mission, which seeks to avoid wasting window collision survivors in Toronto.

“Sadly, many of the birds we discovered have been already lifeless.

“We collected them and created this impactful exhibition on the finish of the yr to commemorate the lives misplaced and lift public consciousness.”

Homonylo’s work was additionally one of many winners within the Conservation (Single Picture) class.

Andrés Luis Domínguez Blanco, a 14-year-old Spanish photographer, received the 2024 Younger Hen Photographer of the Yr award for his artistic angle on a nuthatch climbing down an oak tree.

Photographers competed in eight totally different classes within the grownup competitors, together with Conservation, Portfolio and Movie Awards.

Beneath are a number of images that received a Gold, Silver or Bronze Award, together with an outline from the photographer.

“This peregrine chick has been flying for greater than per week, and his abilities are bettering daily.

“Whereas he nonetheless will get meals from his dad and mom, he has begun training his looking abilities.

“He was not but able to catching stay birds within the air, so he took small steps to chase a flying butterfly.

“I’ve been photographing peregrine falcons for a few years and this was the primary time I noticed chicks taking part in with butterflies.”

“For a number of weeks every year, black grouse collect in [the] On spring mornings, Leks have interaction in courtship and show.

“The males come down, every occupy their very own territory, and spend hours sizing one another up, charging at one another, and mainly partaking in simulated fight.

“Often, nevertheless, encounters escalate into precise fight.

“The warmth of a lone warrior steaming via the chilly air, I captured this whereas sitting in a small studio, reveling within the sounds and sights of this historic drama.”

“In the course of winter, I marvel on the aerial ballet of backyard birds as they arrive to my bushes and benefit from the seeds I’ve sown for them.

“Fastidiously hid, I attempted to immortalize their flight and their delicate trajectory utilizing flash and digicam in ‘rear curtain’ mode.

“I have to take a whole lot of images to seize the right second, which depicts the fleeting magic of winter nature.”

“Right here we see three northern gannets diving into the ocean on a sunny day in Shetland.

“This species is Scotland’s largest seabird and they’re very adept within the water, able to diving to depths of as much as 22 metres.

“I took this photograph whereas diving from a ship close to North, which has the seventh largest northern gannet colony within the UK.

“The fowl inhabitants was once estimated at round 25,000, however sadly their numbers have been severely lowered as a result of an outbreak of avian influenza.

“It’s unclear when or if their numbers will recuperate. Useless herring from native herring farms are used to draw birds to the boats.”

“This photograph exhibits a white-headed grebe disappearing beneath the floor to feed, reaching into the depths with its enormous paddle-like ft.

“I took this photograph from a platform excessive above the wetland.

“With a bit of creativeness, the mixture of fowl and ripples can appear to be a hippopotamus’ head.”

“One darkish night time in March, we have been on a safari returning to our camp in Sabi Sands, South Africa.

“We stopped and heard some uncommon noises, though undecided what they have been.

“Then we heard a chirping and flapping sound above our heads.

“When illuminated with automobile lights, we noticed these helmeted shrike huddled collectively at night time because it began to get colder.”

“The goose-footed sandpiper breeds in a park a couple of kilometer away from the Vistula River, the supply of life in Poland.

“As a result of lack of meals and security within the park, each mom should transfer her kids to the river as shortly as doable.

“They handed via a sequence of underpasses and a six-lane freeway.

“Yearly a gaggle of volunteers assist them cross this lethal street by stopping site visitors.

“This photograph exhibits a mom goose crossing a smaller street as a result of she determined to not use the scary and darkish underpass beneath.”

“This poignant photograph captures the tough actuality of a fowl market in Bali.

“The lovebirds face one another in separate cages, seemingly saying goodbye, questioning if they are going to ever see one another once more.

“Who is aware of what pleasure they are going to expertise collectively within the lush native rainforest, and whether or not they are going to ever expertise it once more.

“Their silent connection transcends bodily obstacles, emphasizing the advanced interaction between the need for freedom and escaping the constraints of human pleasure.”

“I took this photograph on a phenomenal seaside on the Baltic Sea.

“There are plenty of waders and different birds right here, however there are additionally plenty of vacationers who come to benefit from the stunning surroundings.

“On this case, there was one other canine that originally didn’t discover the grey plover. Nonetheless, the grey plover did discover the canine and flew away shortly after I took the photograph.

“Whereas I don’t consider this occasion has induced an excessive amount of strain on the birds, you will need to acknowledge the potential affect of human actions and tourism on protected species and their habitats.”

“Lake Feder is a well-known wintering place for a lot of migratory birds.

“From November to March, eels are common guests to this lake.

“As soon as the lake freezes over, these uncommon birds retreat via the reeds into the ditches.

“Amazingly, this man was very near the boardwalk that runs via the character reserve.

“From there, I might simply watch its fishing motion and take tons of images.”