These are the best photos that flew to 2022 Bird Photographer of the Year so far

There are few things I like more in the morning other than the sound of the birds out my window (and coffee, but that’s a different topic). Of course, not all birds sing nicely (I’m looking at you, magpies), but I think they’re all cool in their own way.

Bird Photographer of the Year contest shares my opinion, so they threw a contest for choosing the best bird photo every year. The results won’t arrive until fall, but the finalists are now out and all I can say is – the jury will have a difficult task choosing the best. So, if you like birds or at least bird photography, let’s take a look at these beautiful photos together.

Now in its seventh year, Bird Photographer of the Year is a supporter of conservation.  It provides vital funding for grassroots conservation projects through its charity partner Birds on the Brink. Of course, in addition to the great cause, photographers from all over the world want their bird images to be the best and win them the £5,000 cash prize. This year, more than 20,000 images were submitted to the contest from 115 different countries.

Other than the digital photos and the worldwide exhibition, there’s also a hardback, coffee-table book featuring the best images from the 2022 competition. It was published by William Collins and contains 256 pages filled with beautiful imagery. The book is currently available to pre-order on the contest’s website.

And now, take a look at the finalist images below. And note this is just a sneak preview of what’s still to come, as the winners are being announced on 8 September 2022.