36 Breathtaking Bird Photos From The 2026 Academy Photo Awards

A Bearded Vulture that seems to lick its fingers.

A mother bird is feeding five baby birds on a tree branch in the morning.

Peace does not belong only to humans; it belongs to all living things on Earth. The conservation of the Japanese crane is a successful nature conservation project in Japan. The Japanese crane, which was thought to be extinct, was rediscovered in the Kushiro Marsh in Hokkaido in 1924. Since then, human conservation efforts have led to a population recovery of approximately 1,900 birds over about 100 years, by 2026. This work embodies a prayer for peace and the desire to protect this beautiful planet, through the beautiful image of the Japanese crane soaring across the snowfield.

The Black-hooded Oriole's parenting strategy focuses on ensuring the survival of their young.

I captured this moment likely highlights one of these remarkable parenting strategies in action which is a truly awe-inspiring unforgettable moment for me.

The big fish chased the small fish and rushed out of the water together, passing the egret. The egret looked surprised and did not know where the small fish would go under the laws of nature? Just like a poem: I passed you by. You hurried here. Before I noticed, you had gone far away, leaving me a regretful back.

Photo of a barn owl named Nyx, posing in front of an aspen tree during the fall, showing the natural camouflage of the bird against the fall colors of the tree leaves.

This is a picture of a chicken that had wandered inside of a tool shed. It was sitting on top of several paint buckets when I came across it.

The morning glow reflected the red sky, and the two crowned cranes flew to the pool to show their affection, and they couldn't wait to dance, envying the hanging storks on the side.

An American Kestrel in flight near a Saguaro cactus while it is on the hunt for prey.

The photo was taken in Iceland in April, when the puffins arrive from the ocean to mate. We see two birds in love and one behind them who plays the gooseberry.

A family of burrowing owls line up for breakfast that dad has just delivered (note the insect in his mouth) at the Salton Sea in Southern California, USA.

The cuckoo (also known as the magpie-robin, or cuckoo) is a group of parasitic birds known for their unique habit of depositing their eggs in the nests of other birds. Despite their reputation, these birds possess several specific characteristics, including their parasitic nature. They don't build their own nests. Instead, they remove other birds' eggs and leave their own to be incubated and raised by the nesting bird.

A flamingo is an individual and is going its own way.

A Malachite Kingfisher encounters a dragonfly. The dragonfly actually fluttered in, landed briefly on the bird's head, and zoomed off again. Nobody was harmed or eaten in the exchange. The kingfisher was probably as surprised as I was.

Purple Sunbird (female) feeding it's chick in flight.

On the quiet green outfield of Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, where roaring crowds usually gather to witness fierce human rivalries, another unexpected battle unfolds—raw, instinctive, and untamed. Two pairs of Common myna lock into a mid-air clash, wings flared like gloves, claws gripping, beaks open in defiance. Beneath them, two more combatants grapple on the turf, echoing the same intensity, as if mirroring the drama of a high-stakes match.

Every afternoon Indian paradise flycatcher come to water for bathing. Oneday I was ready with my camera setup on the bank of a small river and suddenly i saw an Indian paradise flycatcher dived into water for bathing and created a beautiful reflection on water. I was able to capture the moments.

This image captures a Greater Adjutant stork adapting to survival within a human-altered environment, reflecting resilience amidst ecological imbalances.

A Little Cormorant perched on a branch and staring at The Darter bird while flying against the sunset, in the golden hour. Shot was taken at Mysuru, Karnataka, India.

Taken in the snow of Norway. I was there hoping to photograph Golden Eagles, however this proved difficult.
In the meantime there were some Jays frolicking in the snow and fighting over food.

I was lucky enough to capture these two with a third bird seemingly watching the show.

A hawk flying through a light snowfall, talons outstretched.

There are 5 species of Bee-eaters endemic to Malaysia. One of these is the Blue-tailed Bee-eater. As with other bee-eater species the male will bring gifts to the female when she is laying eggs. This behaviour is featured in this image.

There are 5 species of Bee-eaters endemic to Malaysia. One of the most elusive is the forest-dwelling Red-bearded Bee-eater. In this image a Red-beared Bee-eater has caught a cicada and is going to a branch to subdue it before ingesting it.

I have been observing and photographing a hummingbird family for weeks. One day I managed to take a really close-up photo of a male's feather, but that tiny moment was gone as quickly as it arrived. There was sparkling sunshine that day, which beautifully brought out the diverse colors of the feathers.

I was simply watching and waiting when these two wrens landed and this exchange happened right in front of me. Whether it's a parent passing food to a juvenile or something else entirely, I couldn't tell you. Both birds are either female or young, their colours yet to declare themselves. What I do know is that sustenance is rarely just about food. It's about whatever passes between two living things in a moment of quiet dependency.

From March to April, the breeding season for little terns begins, marking a critical phase in their life cycle. During this period, these graceful birds engage in courtship, mate, and lay their eggs on sandy riverbanks. Once the eggs hatch, the real challenge starts as the parents take turns caring for their fragile young. In this photograph, a poignant moment is captured: a mother little tern tending to her chick. The mother carefully brings food small fish caught from the nearby river to nourish her offspring. This dedicated feeding process continues tirelessly day after day. Both parent birds remain vigilant and nurturing until their chicks grow strong enough to spread their wings. Eventually, the young terns learn to fish on their own, continuing the natural rhythm of life. This image beautifully symbolizes the quiet yet powerful cycle of care, growth, and survival that defines the little tern's journey in the wild.

The nature has some special sounds that rejuvinate the inner sanctum of broken hearts. When it happens, It results in an image like this.

White-breasted kingfishers found in the sub-Indian area and South-east Asia. They occupy a variety of habitats. I followed a pair for several seasons and recorded their hunting abilities. The male in the image has caught a field frog and is flying to a perch to subdue it and prepare it for ingestion.

On Île Rouzic in Brittany, a colony of northern gannets gathers along the exposed rock while individual birds rise into the sky like fleeting strokes of calligraphy. Their movement appears at once fragile and assured, forming a living script above the dense white mass of the nesting colony. The image speaks not only of beauty, but of persistence and ecological resilience: a precarious order sustained through collective life, rhythm, and return. Above the scene, a cross-shaped formation of cloud enters the frame like a celestial sign, adding an unexpected symbolic charge and binding earth, sea, and air into a single suspended field of tension.

The swan emerges from the water, shrouded in mist and silence. Seen from behind, it becomes almost otherworldly, a fleeting presence suspended between the elements, where light and shadow merge into one quiet moment.

Diving kingfisher catches a fish.