Marie Read / Roseate spoonbill (Ajaia ajaja) adult in breeding plumage preening tail feathers, Black Point Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Florida, USA, January.

Marie Read / California quail (Callipepla californica), male emerging from behind snowbank in winter, Mono Lake Basin, California, USA

Marie Read / Great blue heron (Ardea herodias) in breeding plumage, head and shoulders showing plumes on crown and neck, Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, New York, USA, May.

Ingo Arndt / Double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) adult resting, close up portrait, Everglades National Park, Florida, USA. January. Finalist in the Birds Category of the GDT Awards 2015.

Ingo Arndt / Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua) preening, Prion Island, South Georgia Island, February

Ingo Arndt / King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) plumage detail, St Andrews Bay, South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean, Antarctic Convergence.

Ingo Arndt / King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) portrait and plumage detail, St Andrews Bay, South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean, Antarctic Convergence.

Paul D Stewart / Photographic reconstruction of Archaeopteryx by Paul D. Stewart. The fossils of this species was from 150 million years ago, and is thought of as a stage between feathered dinosaurs and modern birds.

Danny Green / Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) preening in late evening light, Heimaey, Westman Isles, Iceland, June

Bence Mate / Group of Little egrets (Egretta garzetta) displaying its ornamental feathers, Lake Csaj, Kiskunsagi National Park, Hungary. February.

Bence Mate / Close up of Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) preening, Danube Delta, Romania

Bence Mate / Spoonbilll (Platalea leucorodia) portrait, Lake Csaj, Kiskunsagi National Park, Pusztaszer, Hungary. February.

Bence Mate / Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) close up of feathers, Lake Csaj, Kiskunsagi National Park, Pusztaszer, Hungary, February.

Lou Coetzer / Pintailed whydah (Vidua macroura) male displaying to female, Masai Mara, Kenya.

Michel Poinsignon / Great white egret (Egretta alba) preening feathers, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Michel Poinsignon / Great white egret (Egretta alba) detail of plumage and legs from the front, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Markus Varesvuo / Female Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) with newly hatched chick on nest, Kuhmo, Finland, June.

Markus Varesvuo / Female Black grouse (Tetrao / Lyrurus tetrix) perched in tree covered in snow, Inari Kiilopaa, Finland, January.

Markus Varesvuo / Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) plucking Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) Kuusamo, Finland, April.

Markus Varesvuo / Two male Black grouse (Tetrao / Lyrurus tetrix) fighting, Kuusamo, Finland, April.

Markus Varesvuo / Male Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) displaying, Jalasjarvi, Finland, April.

Melvin Grey / Violet-tailed sylph hummingbird (Aglaiocercus coelestis) hummingbird adult male, approaching flower to feed, Tandayapa, Ecuador

Gerrit Vyn / Snowy Owl (Bubo scandiacus) fluffing feathers, this image was taken during a massive increase in the range and population of snowy owls. Boundary Bay, Canada. March.

Bence Mate / Great egret (Ardea alba) close up of feathers, Lake Csaj, Pusztaszer, Hungary, December. Winner of the Portfolio category of the Terre Sauvage Nature Images Awards competition 2015.

Bence Mate / Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) in flight with nesting material, Hungary, July. Nominated in the Telephoto category of the Terre Sauvage Nature Images Awards competition 2015.

Suzi Eszterhas / Hyacinth macaw (Anadorhynchus hyacinthinus) eating palm nut. Pantanal, Brazil.

Dave Watts / Northern bald ibis (Geronticus eremita) feeding, Morocco, Critically endangered species.

Tony Heald / Junglefowl (Gallus gallus) male, Kaziranga National Park, Assam, India, March.

Joris van Alphen / Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus) preparing to land at her nest, clasping a songbird. Viewed from below. Groningen, the Netherlands. July.

Joris van Alphen / Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus) mother attempting to shelter her chicks from the rain, Flevoland, the Netherlands. July.

Pete Oxford / Nyshi man, Arunachal Pradesh, North East India, November 2014.

Sven Zacek / White-tailed sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) flying, against a clear blue sky, Norway, July.

George Sanker / Snowy egret (Egretta thula) with plumes erect, St. Augustine, Florida, USA, April.

George Sanker / Barred owl (Strix varia) stretching wings, Corkscrew Swamp Audubon Sanctuary, Florida, USA, March.

Richard Du Toit / Longtailed widowbird (Eupletes progne) male perched in flowers, Rietvlei Nature Reserve, South Africa.

Andy Trowbridge / Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) male displaying in Scots pine tree (Pinus sylvestris) Southern Norway. May.

Danny Green / White tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) in flight with snowy background, Rausu, Japan, February

Danny Green / Steller's sea eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) on snowy ground, Japan, February

Danny Green / Steller's sea eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) close up portrait, Japan, February

Danny Green / Japanese crane (Grus japonensis) displaying, wings in heart shape, Hokkaido, Japan, February

Cyril Ruoso / Pygmy kingfisher (Ceyx picta) portrait, Cross River State, Nigeria. Non-ex

Ole Jorgen Liodden / White-tailed eagle (Haeliaeetus albicilla) perched on snowy snag with wings raised, Flatanger, Norway, January.

Ole Jorgen Liodden / Great grey owl (Strix nebulosa lapponica) in flight, close up, Finland, March.

Ole Jorgen Liodden / Great grey owl (Strix nebulosa lapponica) hunting in flight, Lapland, Finland, March.

Erlend Haarberg / Siberian jay (Perisoreus infaustus) in Scots pine forest, near fallen tree, Stora Sjofallet National Park, Laponia World Heritage Site, Lapland, Sweden, October.

Tui De Roy / Kakapo (Strigops habroptilus) close up showing sensory facial feathers, Codfish Island / Whenua Hou, Southland, New Zealand, February. Critically endangered

Theo Webb / Male Indian peafowl (Pavo cristatus) displaying to attract a female, Bandhavgarh National Park, India.

Markus Varesvuo / Pharaoh eagle owl (Bubo ascalaphus) on sand, Morocco, March.

Marie Read / Baltimore oriole (Icterus galbula) male singing in spring, perched on Pear blossom (Pyrus sp.) flowers, New York, USA May.

Gabriel Rojo / Southern lapwing (Vanellus chilensis) La Pampa, Argentina

Marie Read / Royal terns (Sterna maxima) pair crossing bills during courtship behaviour, Fort DeSoto Park, Florida, USA

Erlend Haarberg / Great snipe (Gallinago media) displaying, Norway, June.

Tui De Roy / Espanola mockingbird (Mimus macdonaldi) on beach, Galapagos

George Sanker / Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) perched on branch in snow, Acadia National Park, Maine, USA, February.

Dong Lei / Pheasant-tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, China.

Nick Garbutt / Bare-faced Curassow (Crax fasciolata) male and female, Near Araras Lodge, Mato Grosso, Northern Pantanal, Brazil, South America.

Markus Varesvuo / Steller's Eagle (Haliaeteus pelagicus) flying past snowy mountain peak, Hokkaido, Japan, February

Markus Varesvuo / Red-crowned Crane (Grus japonensis) preening in snow,Hokkaido, Japan, February

Markus Varesvuo / Blakiston's Fish Owl (Ketupa blakistoni) perched, Hokkaido, Japan, February.

Markus Varesvuo / Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix) female on frosty branches, Kuusamo, Finland April

Ben Cranke / Steller's Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) stood on ice floe, Hokkaido, Japan. February.

Ben Cranke / Jandaya Parakeet (Aratinga jandaya) perched on a tree branch, Piaui, Brazil. August.

Markus Varesvuo / Spotted Redshank (Tringa erythropus) standing on rocky shore, stretching wings, Uts, Finland, Scandinavia, August.

Markus Varesvuo / Head portrait of juvenile Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) Kuhmo, Finland, February

Markus Varesvuo / Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus) in flight, from directly below, Norway, July. Magic Moments book plate.

Markus Varesvuo / Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa) taking off into flight from ground, Tornio, Finland, March. Magic Moments book plate.

Markus Varesvuo / Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa) in flight low over snow covered ground, Raahe, Finland, March

Markus Varesvuo / Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur) take off, Hungary

Markus Varesvuo / Hoopoe (Upupa epops) in flight, Sultanate of Oman, October. Magic Moments book plate.

Markus Varesvuo / Eurasian Jay (Garrulus glandarius) head portrait after bathing, Hungary, May

Markus Varesvuo / White-tailed sea eagle (Haliaeetos albicilla) flying through woodland, Kuusamo, Finland, April

Markus Varesvuo / Siberian Jay (Perisoreus infaustus) in flight, Kuusamo, Finland, February

Markus Varesvuo / Rough-legged Buzard (Buteo lagopus) high angle view of male flying, Norway, June

Markus Varesvuo / Temminck's Stint (Calidris temminckii), adult with summer plumage in flight. Norway. June.

Erlend Haarberg / Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla) fighting. Vauldalen, Sor-trondelag. Norway, May.

Dong Lei / Blood pheasants (Ithaginis cruentus) foraging in habitat, one looking at the camera, Meli Snow Mountain National Park, Yunnan Province, China, January. Endemic. Taken with remote camera.

Robin Chittenden / Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) on statue's head, Norwich Cathedral, Norfolk, UK, June

Jussi Murtosaari / Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa) diving for prey, southern Finland, April.

Ernie Janes / Black headed gull (Larus ridibundus) in winter plumage, Titchwell RSPB reserve, Norfolk, England, UK, December.

Loic Poidevin / Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) flying low over the ground, Indre-et-Loire , France, June.

Konrad Wothe / Hoatzins (Opisthocomus hoazin) perched in rainforest, Tambopata Reserve, Peru, South America.

Roger Powell / Rear view of Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) in full display at the lek. Varanger, Finmark, Norway, May.

Roger Powell / Satellite male Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) in full display at the lek. Varanger, Finmark, Norway, May.

Roger Powell / Little owl (Athene noctua) perched on a fence post, ruffling its feathers, Castro Verde, Alentejo, Portugal, April.

Cheryl-Samantha Owen / African penguin; (Spheniscus demersus); Rehabilitation at Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB); Cape Town; South Africa.

Denis-Huot,Denis-Huot / White-backed Vulture (Gyps Africanus) feeding, Masai-Mara Game Reserve, Kenya

Konrad Wothe,Konrad Wothe / Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) male, Pantanal, Brazil, South America

Konrad Wothe / Aggressive Mute swan (Cygnus olor) Upper Bavaria, Germany, Europe

Claudio Contreras / Northern mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) in courtship display, San Quintin, Baja California Peninsula, Mexico,

Claudio Contreras / California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) preening, IUCN Critically Endangered, captive.

Markus Varesvuo,Markus Varesvuo / Male Long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis), Batsfjord, Norway, March.

Markus Varesvuo,Markus Varesvuo / Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus), Vardo, Norway, March.

Markus Varesvuo / Male Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) flying in woodland, Vaala, Finland, April.

Loic Poidevin,Loic Poidevin / Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) diving at prey, Breton Marsh, West France, April

Loic Poidevin,Loic Poidevin / Northern Goshawk(Accipiter gentilis) on a branch, Bulgaria, February

Markus Varesvuo,Markus Varesvuo / Whiskered tern (Chlidonias hybridus), Hungary, June.