The 2025 SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year Competition Has Officially Closed!

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who took part and helped make this year’s competition an incredible success! Together, we’ve raised an amazing £2,988.97 for the RSPB supporting the vital work they do to protect our beautiful birdlife.

Since the competition began, the Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers (SINWP) has proudly raised over £19,126 for the RSPB, and it’s all thanks to the passion and creativity of photographers like you.

✨ The winners will be revealed in the next few weeks, but while you wait, why not explore some of the breathtaking entries from this year’s competition? sinwp.com/bird/

Like entering comps? Dog Photography Competition https://swpp.co.uk/Dog25/
Members don’t forget it’s Double up for November Monthly Image Competition
https://thesocieties.net/benefits/monthly-image-competition/

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The RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) were delighted to receive £2,867 donation from the SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year 2024 Competition.

The international photographic competition was run by the Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers in aid of the RSPB.

Well over 2,300 images were entered in to the competition and from the minimum £1 per image donation, the competition raised £2,867.

Since the Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers started the SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year competition, it has raised an impressive £16,138 in 7 years.

Colin Jones, The Society of Photographers CEO said, “We are delighted to present the RSPB with this donation! The competition was a tremendous success, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to all the entrants for their participation and generous contributions to this incredible cause. Your support has made a real difference!”

Louise, RSPB Conwy Visitor Experience Officer said “We are incredibly grateful for the generous donation to the RSPB, made possible by everyone who took part in your photography competition. Your support will help us continue our vital work in protecting and conserving wildlife both here in the UK and around the world.”

This individual or organisation is fundraising in aid of the RSPB. They are not fundraising on behalf of or in any formal capacity for the RSPB, and the RSPB cannot be held liable in any way for the event or activity

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654

**Keep an eye on our blog for the 2025 SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year competition in aid of the RSPB! Opening soon!**

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The results of the SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year Competition, held in support of the RSPB, were showcased in the Daily Mirror, Daily Star, and Daily Record. What an incredible achievement!”

Now in its seventh year, this prestigious competition has become a celebrated platform for showcasing the beauty and diversity of birdlife through the lens of talented photographers worldwide. Since its inception, the competition has raised an impressive £16,138 to support vital conservation efforts led by the RSPB.

A massive thank you to everyone who entered the competition and generously donated – your support means the world!

Also, the competition results made some online news incuding Digital Camera World

Feisty Parakeet Bites Lizard in Winning Image of SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year via PetaPixel

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Exciting news for bird photography enthusiasts! The SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year competition 2024, now in its 7th year, has raised thousands for the RSPB, and we’re thrilled to announce that we’re so close to making this year our biggest donation yet. Thanks to the incredible response from photographers around the world, we’ve extended the entry deadline to Monday, 4th November—giving you one final opportunity to share your stunning images and support an amazing cause.

Your entry not only showcases your work to a global audience but directly contributes to protecting birds and the natural world through the RSPB. Join us in making this our most impactful year ever!

Enter Now

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Colin Jones, The Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers CEO with Jonni Price, RSPB Conwy Visitor Experience Manager

The RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) were delighted to receive £2,273.42 donation from the SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year 2023 Competition.

The international photographic competition was run by the Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers in aid of the RSPB.

Well over 1,790 images were entered in to the competition and from the minimum £1 per image donation, the competition raised £2,273.42.

Since the Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers started the SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year competition, it has raised over £13,271 for the RSPB.

Colin Jones, The Societies’ CEO said, “I am thrilled to present the RSPB with this donation. The competition was a huge success, and we would like to thank all the entrants for participating and donating towards this fantastic cause.”

Jonni Price, RSPB Conwy Visitor Experience Manager said “We are so grateful for the donation made to the RSPB from everyone who took part in your photography competition. The donation will help the RSPB in continuing its work both home and abroad in protecting and supporting wildlife.”

This individual or organisation is fundraising in aid of the RSPB. They are not fundraising on behalf of or in any formal capacity for the RSPB, and the RSPB cannot be held liable in any way for the event or activity

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654

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The RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) were delighted to receive £2,053.73 donation from the SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year 2022 Competition.

The international photographic competition was run by the Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers in aid of the RSPB.

Well over 1,600 images were entered in to the competition and from the minimum £1 per image donation, the competition raised £2,053.73.

Since the Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers started the SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year competition, it has raised over £10,998 for the RSPB.

Colin Jones, The Societies’ CEO said, “I am thrilled to present the RSPB with this donation. The competition was a huge success, and we would like to thank all the entrants for participating and donating towards this fantastic cause.”

Jonni Price, RSPB Conwy Visitor Experience Manager said “We are so grateful for the donation made to the RSPB from everyone who took part in your photography competition. The donation will help the RSPB in continuing its work both home and abroad in protecting and supporting wildlife.”

This individual or organisation is fundraising in aid of the RSPB. They are not fundraising on behalf of or in any formal capacity for the RSPB, and the RSPB cannot be held liable in any way for the event or activity

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654

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Sarah Keates from Massachusetts, USA with this winning image entitled ‘Piping plover chick finds a shell’.

Now in its fifth year, The Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers are delighted to announce the winners of the SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year 2022 in aid of RSPB.

With over 1,600 photographs entered into this competition from around the globe. We have seen everything from kingfishers, bald eagles, puffins, peacocks, and everything in between, and the quality has been stunning.

The winning entry by Sarah Keates from Massachusetts, USA was of a Piping Plover entitled “Piping Plover chick finds a shell“.

The competition was adjudicated by our three specialists Jon Ashton ARPS, Charles Farnell ARPS and Tracy Lund FSINWP. Mike McNamee chaired the proceedings, and it was ring mastered by Rob Caley who took control of the zoom meetings and file management.

Thank you to all entrants for sharing your work with us at the same time as benefitting the RSPB to the tune of £2,053.73 bringing the total raised by this competition to £10,998 over the five years it has been running. It has been a pleasure! JA CF TL MMcN & RC

Sarah tells us – ‘’That is exciting news!!! Thanks so much, I’m truly honoured!’’

The details of the shot are as follows:

Time and location:
The shot was taken in July 2022 at Duxbury Beach, Duxbury, Massachusetts, USA.

Equipment:
Canon R5, EF 500mm f/4L IS II USM, Extender EF 1.4x III

Settings:
f/7.1, 1/2000 sec, iSO-400, focal length 700mm, Spot metering, No flash

2nd place was awarded to Michelle Jackson from Derbyshire, England and 3rd place was awarded to Jason Gericke from Nottinghamshire, England.

2^nd Place – Michelle Jackson

3^rd Place – Jason Gericke

View the winning images here

1st https://sinwp.com/Bird22/1st.htm
2nd https://sinwp.com/Bird22/2nd.htm
3rd https://sinwp.com/Bird22/3rd.htm

Vince Burton, Gary Jones and Robert Gloeckner all received Judges Choice Awards https://sinwp.com/Bird22/jc.htm

As the quality this year’s competition was superb, Very Highly Commended, Highly Commended and Commended images were also awarded.

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Alan Jones’ image entitled “Red billed Oxpecker “

Now in its fourth year, The Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers are delighted to announce the winners of the SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year 2021 in aid of RSPB.

Well over 1,700 photographs were entered into this competition from around the globe. We have seen everything from kingfishers, bald eagles, puffins, peacocks, and everything in between, and the quality has been stunning.

The winning entry by Alan Jones from Midlothian, Scotland was of a Red-billed Oxpecker which is sat on a buffalo’s face entitled ‘’Red-Billed Oxpecker”.

The Photographic competition was organised in aid of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) who benefitted to the tune of £2,302.72p from the minimum donation of £1 per entry.

Alan tells us ”The image was taken at Zimanga reserve in the Kwa-Zulu Natal region of South Africa, which is in the Eastern Cape. The reserve has some amazing hides which allows you to collect images at water hole level. This hide allows overnight sessions and is well equipped, even including wi-fi which allowed me to post images taken during the night on Facebook! This image was taken about 6am in late September so the light level was still pretty low. The bird is of course a Red-billed Oxpecker which is sitting on a buffalo’s face. Oxpeckers feed exclusively on the bodies of large mammals. It seems the jury is still out on whether they do the animal more harm than good. The buffalo appears to tolerate oxpeckers while other species will not.”

Technical details: Canon EOS 70D, Canon 100-400mm IS II USM at 100mm (the animals were pretty close!), manual exposure mode f5.6, 1/125, at 1600 ISO.

Judges’ Comments “The quality of the entry was extremely high, especially given the constraints that have impeded photography in the past year and a total of 198 images were selected from the 1,500+ to go forward for detailed discussion and selection of the awards. The selection was refined into bronze, Silver and Gold to reflect the time that any given image stayed in the race.

It is quite apparent that modern camera technology is starting to have a considerable influence on wildlife photography and leading exponents are now fully exploiting the speeds, low-noise, high ISO and fabulous focus capabilities available today. A number of the shots showed quite remarkable settings in their metadata with action captures including tiny details such as insects alongside fast moving birds that would have never been possible previously. Conversely some of the images showed superb camera craft and amazing stability at low shutter speeds – as judges we salute you all!

In among this feast of quality simple ‘portraits’ stood less chance of attracting the judge’s attention without additional interest such as rarity, species interactions or behaviours. Even so the judges retained an appreciation for composition and the artistry that was on display in many of the shots, and the final selections reflect this diversity of the images.”

2nd place was awarded to Kevin Nash from Cheshire, England and 3rd place was awarded to Colin Bradshaw from Cambridgeshire, England.

2^nd Place – Kevin Nash

3^rd Place – Colin Bradshaw

View the winning images here
1^st https://sinwp.com/Bird21/1st.htm  
2^nd https://sinwp.com/Bird21/2nd.htm  
3^rd https://sinwp.com/Bird21/3rd.htm

Gianpiero Ferrari, Jason Gericke, John Ellingsen all received Judges Choice Awards https://sinwp.com/Bird21/jc.htm

As the quality this year’s competition was superb, Gold, Silver and Bronze images were also awarded.

Gold https://sinwp.com/Bird21/gold.htm

Silver https://sinwp.com/Bird21/silver.htm

Bronze https://sinwp.com/Bird21/bronze.htm

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The RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) were delighted to receive £2,850.84 donation from the SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year 2019 Competition.

The international photographic competition was run by the Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers in aid of the RSPB.

Well over 2,000 images were entered in to the competition and from the minimum £1 per image donation, the competition raised £2,850.84.

Colin Jones, The Societies’ Company Director said, “I am thrilled to present the RSPB with this donation. The competition was a huge success and we would like to thank all the entrants for participating and donating towards this fantastic cause.”

Jonni Price, The RSPB Conwy Nature Reserve Visitor Experience Manager said “A big thank you to the Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers for raising a massive £2,850 for the RSPB by running The SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year Competition in aid of the RSPB. It was fantastic to meet you at RSPB Conwy today to receive your amazing donation.”

View the winners here: https://sinwp.com/bird/2019-1st.htm

This individual or organisation is fundraising in aid of the RSPB. They are not fundraising on behalf of or in any formal capacity for the RSPB, and the RSPB cannot be held liable in any way for the event or activity

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654

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Now in its second year, The Society of International Nature and Wildlife Photographers are delighted to announce the winners of the SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year 2019 in aid of RSPB.

Well over 2,000 photographs were entered into this competition from around the globe. We’ve seen everything from bald eagles, puffins, peacocks, kingfishers and everything in between, and the quality has been absolutely stunning.

The winning entry by Thomas Vijayan from Ontario, Canada was of a family of emperor penguins entitled “My Family”. Thomas has won a collection of prizes worth over £1,145.  

It was organised in aid of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) who benefitted to the tune of £2,850,84 from the minimum donation of £1 per entry.

Thomas says ‘’ Thank you so much for this wonderful news. It came to me like a surprise thank you so much.’’ The image was shot on a Nikon D5, Lens 7-200mm, F stop 3.2, ISO 100, Shutter speed 1/3200.

Mike McNamee ‘’Our judges were presented with anonymised images and I left them to make their choices over a couple of weeks, without interference – they are after all specialists in their subject, having photographed birds all over the world for many years! I made my judge’s choice independently. I liked the situation shown for we can be assured that we are looking at good fieldcraft rather than a visitation to a commercially set up hide and habituated birds.’’

Judges’ Comments

As might be expected we had a hard time in deciding the winner and deciding the positioning of the top five images. The photographers’ experience and photographic skills are improving year on year so determining the top 20 images was not a difficult task; but deciding the top 10 and then the top five did indeed prove very difficult indeed. Having said that a decision had to be made and our congratulations go out to our worthy winners as well as our admiration for all these commended images on display.

2nd place was awarded to Michael John Erwin from Staffordshire, England and 3rd place was awarded to Feargal Quinn from County Meath, Ireland both winning a great range of prizes.

View the winning images here https://sinwp.com/bird/2019-1st.htm

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