The 2026 Academy Photo Awards Highlighted These 36 Incredible Bird Photos

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 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.

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.

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 flamingo is an individual and is going its own way.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 hawk flying through a light snowfall, talons outstretched.

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

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.