The Bird Photographer of the Year has announced the winners of this year’s photo competition chosen from more than 23,000 images entered from around the globe. The thought-provoking image (below) of thousands of birds killed by flying into windows in Toronto took the 2024 title and a £3,500 grand prize. The impactful image showing over 4,000 birds that died colliding with windows and other reflective surfaces in urban areas was taken by Canadia photographer Patricia Homonylo.
“Each year, more than one billion birds die in North America alone due to collisions with windows,” says Homonylo. “I am a conservation photojournalist and have been with the Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) working to save window-collision survivors. Sadly, most of the birds we find are already dead.
” The organization collected the birds and at the end of the year created the startling display to increase public awareness. Bird Photographer of the Year celebrates the world’s best bird photography, while supporting conservation efforts. This year, the competition donated £5,000 to partner charity Birds on the Brink, which provides vital funding to grass-roots bird conservation projects around the world.
“The mark of a good photograph is one that either demonstrates artistry or tells a story,” says Paul Sterry, Birds on the Brink trustee. “The mark of an exceptional one is that it does both. This is just such a photograph, portraying a tragic and often overlooked aspect of man’s .