Beak Shots: 2017’s Bird Photographers of the Year

Birds in the Environment

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“Condor Over Mountains” by Ben Hall showcases a rare and majestic Andean Condor ( Vultur gryphus) effortlessly riding the thermals as it watches out for prey far below. The condor’s rugged habitat in Torres del Paine national park, Chile adds a thrilling note of drama to this timeless skyscape.

Birds in Flight

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“I was photographing Australian pelicans (Pelicanus conspicillatus) on the edge of a small mangrove swamp – they were resting in the calm, shallow waters and the soft evening light was providing the perfect conditions to capture reflections,” explains photographer Bret Charman of ’“Australian Pelican Landing on Water,” above. “I was photographing a portrait of an individual when I heard the wing beats of another bird coming into land and took this snap.”

Birds in the Garden

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“Hovering Barn Owl” by Jamie Hall is mesmerizing in its ghostly depiction of a Barn Owl (Tyto alba) hunting for rodents in Suffolk, England. The owl is silently suspended in midair against the pitch-black night sky, ethereally backlit by the patio light at the photographer’s house.