Winner of the 2025 Bird Photographer of the Year competition

[Donkees]

Bird Photographer of the Year and Gold in the Birds in Flight category: Liron Gertsman, “The Frigatebird and the Diamond Ring.” Magnificent frigatebird, (Fregatta magnificens), Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico

Taking the title of Bird Photographer of the Year, our Overall Winner is ‘The Frigatebird and the Diamond Ring’ by Liron Gertsman. The image shows a magnificent frigatebird silhouetted against the total solar eclipse.

Gertsman wins the top prize of £3,500 and the prestigious title. His image also won Gold Award in the Birds in Flight category.

“I spent well over a year of planning to capture my dream of a bird in front of the total solar eclipse,” says Gertsman. “I enlisted the help of a boat to position myself near some islets off Mazatlán that were frequented by seabirds. As the moon uncovered the sun’s edge at the end of totality, I captured this image during the eclipse phase known as the ‘diamond ring’ - a moment that lasts mere seconds.”

In this behind-the-scenes clip, we can see the very moment that Gertsman took the iconic image.

https://www.birdpoty.com/2025-winners