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Goldeneye in Flight Birds in Flight - COMMENDED Mia Surakka, Finland 'I was ready to photograph the flight as the female goldeneye crossed between me and the rising sun, giving the photo this nice backlit effect, highlighting the wings just touching the water’s surface.'

Sunset Sprinkles Birds in Flight - COMMENDED Sparky Stensaas, United States 'As the sun set on this random roadside prairie pond, Black Terns began zipping back and forth, snatching insects from the water’s surface...'

Contented Ptarmigan Birds in the Environment - COMMENDED James Roddie, United Kingdom 'After a very long walk over the Cairngorm plateau, tramping through deep snow, I eventually found a line of fresh ptarmigan tracks...'

Interstellar Birds in Flight - COMMENDED Simon Carder, United Kingdom 'This Steller’s Sea-eagle image was taken from an early morning tourist boat exploring the edge of the sea ice near Rausu in Eastern Hokkaido, Japan.'

Ruffs Bird Behaviour - COMMENDED Markku Nikki, Finland 'I took this picture of lekking Ruffs from a kayak. I have installed a small wooden table on the kayak with a gimbal head fixed to it...'

Rinse and Repeat Birds in Flight - COMMENDED Ethan Teo, Singapore 'Rising from an unsuccessful dive, this Little Tern twisted its body deftly, flinging off the excess water accumulated after its recent immersion, just as it passed in front of my position.'

Flying Under the Radar Birds in Flight - COMMENDED Ryan Burg, United States 'Alone on the water in my inflatable dinghy on a cool October morning, just after sunrise, I watched as this lone Double-crested Cormorant gracefully made its way towards me...'

A Walk in the Clouds Birds in the Environment - COMMENDED Jesse Trimble, United States ⁠Judging is now underway for BPOTY 2025!⁠

Waterbirds and Bubblegum Wetlands Birds in the Environment - COMMENDED Mark Cook, United Kingdom 'Various species of waterbirds forage in the rouge-tinted coastal wetlands at the southern tip of the Everglades.'

The Monk Urban Birds -COMMENDED Sergey Puponin, Russia 'In the heart of Dubrovnik, beside the Large Onofrio Fountain, a Franciscan monk embodies harmony with nature.'

Spoon Shaking Bird Behaviour - COMMENDED Chen Ein-Dor, Israel 'This Eurasian Spoonbill is showing its special beak, leaving you in no doubt as to how the bird it got its name. I was able to get so close to the bird thanks to my floating hide,.'

White-fronted Chats in Wetland Habitat Birds in the Environment - COMMENDED Pamela Goble, Australia 'White-fronted Chats are small insectivorous birds endemic to southern Australia. By using a tight focus, the beautiful colours and textures of the vegetation have been blurred..'

Wetland Dawn and Feeding Snipe Birds in the Environment - COMMENDED Michał Janiak, Poland 'This photograph was taken at the Jeziorsko Lake, near Siedlątków, an artificial body of water situated in central Poland.'

Peregrine Falcon Food Exchange Bird Behaviour - COMMENDED David Clark, United States 'The action is extremely quick and spectacular. Over years of following this pair I have seen many beautifully executed and skilful food exchanges, but none more amazing than this one.'

Let Me Eat First Birds in Flight - COMMENDED Saleel Tambe, United Kingdom 'Although European Goldfinches are fairly common in urban areas, it is still challenging to capture their activities...'

Japanese Print Black and White - COMMENDED Nathalie Houdin, France 'Sometimes life throws up wonderful surprises and beautiful sightings, such as this magnificent Grey-crowned Crane...'

Grumpy Best Portrait - COMMENDED Tim Hopwood, Canada 'I was fortunate enough to visit a rookery in Mexico that was full of egrets, storks and spoonbills. As a bonus, tucked away in a shady corner I found this lone and fantastical Boat billed Heron.'

The Turquoise Sweater Best Portrait - COMMENDED Akhil Vinayak Balachandra Menon, India 'In the high-altitude region of Cinchona in Costa Rica, this Green Thorntail is showing off its exquisite winter attire...'

Warm and Sweet Bird Behaviour - COMMENDED Guolin Liu, China 'This image of a Demoiselle Crane family was taken in Inner Mongolia, in the high-altitude grasslands that the species favours for nesting.'

Rufous on Watch Best Portrait - COMMENDED Michael Despines, United States 'From his perch, this male Rufous Hummingbird surveyed the entire field – if any other bird or creature dared to enter, he would take flight and warn them off...'