The 2019 Bird Photographer of the Year competition turned out to be a terrific competition for our Canadian photographers, topped by Chad Larsen from Calgary who picked up a Gold Award in our Garden and Urban Birds category with this fantastic image of a Snowy Owl perched on top of a church.

The Silver Award in the same category was also won by a Canadian photographer Meera Sulaiman from Ontario with this rather poignant image of Trumpeter Swans on Lake Ontario.

Not to be overshadowed, Liron Gertsman from Vancouver also picked up a Bronze Award in our Birds in Flight category with this mesmerizing image of Cobalt-winged Parakeets. Liron also picked up Commendations for two other images.

Also in on the act were Gail Bisson and Shayne Kalyne who both picked up two Commendations each and are showcased in the latest Bird Photographer of the Year book published by William Collins. The latest book, and those from past competitions, are available to purchase from the BPOTY online shop.

Husband and wife team Lee Morgan and Lindsay Janes, who hail from Vancouver Island and run Lutra Wildlife and Wilderness, form part of our experienced judging team and can’t wait to see what Canada has to offer for 2020.

The 2020 competition is now open for entries. Offering prizes worth over £20,000, including a top prize of £5,000, there are plenty of opportunities to win. But as well as prizes, BPOTY offers a fabulous platform to showcase the best bird photography from all around the world. And we are passionate about conservation too, having donated thousands of pounds to conservation projects over the course of the last four years. Take a look at the conservation pages for more information.