Wim van den Heever / Black heron (Egretta ardesiaca) fishing and using wings to create an area of shade to attract fish, on the banks of the Chobe River, Botswana.

Wim van den Heever / White tailed sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) group of three fighting, Hokkaido Japan, March.

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 / Black grouse (Tetrao / Lyrurus tetrix) flock flying in snow, Suomussalmi, Finland, January.

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

Ben Hall / Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris) pair, one perched on branch and one hovering in snowfall, Derbyshire, February.

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

Wim van den Heever / Steller's sea-eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) in flight, Hokkaido, Japan, February.

Wim van den Heever / White tailed sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) in flight landing, Hokkaido, Japan, February.

Wim van den Heever / Steller's sea-eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) standing on pack ice, Hokkaido, Japan, February.

Wim van den Heever / Steller's sea-eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) landing on pack ice, Hokkaido, Japan, February.

Wim van den Heever / Red-and-green macaw (Ara chloropterus) in flight, Pantanal, Brazil. August.

Gerrit Vyn / Greater snow geese (Chen caerulescens) taking flight at sunset during migration. Montezuma National Wildlife Rescue, New York, USA. March.

Sven Zacek / Ural owl (Strix uralensis) perching on an Apsen tree during the blue hour of dawn, Tartumaa, Estonia, April.

Sven Zacek / Male Ural owl (Strix uralensis) flying to nest to feed female, Southern Estonia, March.

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.

Bence Mate / White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) flying, with Great egret (Ardea alba) in the foreground, Lake Csaj, Pusztaszer, Hungary. February. Winner of the Portfolio category of the Terre Sauvage Natur...

Bence Mate / Great egret (Ardea alba) hunting fish, Lake Csaj, Pusztaszer, Hungary, February. Winner of the Portfolio category of the Terre Sauvage Nature Images Awards competition 2015.

Bence Mate / Two Great egrets (Ardea alba) standing opposite each other with Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) in between. Lake Csaj, Pusztaszer, Hungary, January. Winner of the Portfolio category of the Terre Sauvage Na...

Bence Mate / Group of Great egrets (Ardea alba) reflected in still water, with Hooded crows (Corvus cornix), Lake Csaj, Pusztaszer, Hungary. Winner of the Portfolio category of the Terre Sauvage Nature Images Awar...

Staffan Widstrand / Eurasian griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) blurred motion photograph at wildlife watching and vulture feeding site, Pre-Pyrenees, Catalonia, Spain, March.

Mark MacEwen / Northern royal albatross (Diomedea sanfordi), early pairing behaviour, Taiaroa Head, Otago Peninsula, New Zealand. Endangered.

Mark MacEwen / Snares island crested penguin (Eudyptes robustus) in forest, Snares Island, New Zealand.

Mark MacEwen / Snare's island crested penguin (Eudyptes robustus) colony on the coast, high angle view, Snares Island, New Zealand.

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

Dave Watts / Hermit ibis (Geronticus eremita) colony, near Tamri, Morocco. Critically endangered.

Pal Hermansen / Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) breeding on house wall, Norway, March.

Sven Zacek / Arctic tern (Sterna paradisea) sitting on its nest surrounded by various coastal colors. Harjumaa, Estonia. June.

Sven Zacek / Eider ducks (Somateria mollissima) males reflected in a small pond, Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway. June.

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

Sven Zacek / White-tailed sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) flying, and hunting over sea, Norway, July.

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

George Sanker / Great egret (Ardea alba) taking off with fish prey in mouth, Myakka River State Park, Florida, USA, March.

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

George Sanker / Purple gallinule (Porphyrula martinica) in mangrove swamp. Everglades National Park, Florida, USA. March.

Andy Rouse / Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus cristatus) in urban environment Cardiff, UK

Anup Shah / Marabou storks (Leptoptilos crumeniferus) feeding on catfish in waterhole, wide angle view. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya.

Roger Powell / Small flock of Brent Geese (Branta bernicla) in flight..Texel Island, The Netherlands, Europe

Krijn Trimbos / Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) two in territorial fight, The Netherlands, March.

Krijn Trimbos / Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) two in territorial fight, The Netherlands, March.

Krijn Trimbos / Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) carrying chick while its mate approaches with food, Netherlands, May.

Ross Hoddinott / Mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) drake swimming through reflection of house, Bude canal, Cornwall, UK. April 2015.

Espen Bergersen / Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) squabbling on ice. Svalbard, Norway. July

Espen Bergersen / Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) two calling aggresively in snow, Hornya birdcliff, Finnmark, Norway.

Espen Bergersen / Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) and European shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) Hornoya, Finnmark, Norway. March.

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

Danny Green / Japanese cranes (Grus japonensis) displaying in snow, Hokkaido, Japan, February

Danny Green / Japanese cranes (Grus japonensis) displaying in snow, Hokkaido, Japan, February

Claudio Contreras / Aquatic plants (Typha sp.) with Mexico City buildings in the back, Xochimilco wetlands, Mexico City, January

Ole Jorgen Liodden / Erect-crested penguin (Eudyptes sclateri) surfacing near Bounty Island, Sub-Antarctic New Zealand, March. Endangered species.

Ole Jorgen Liodden / Campbell albatross (Thalassarche impavida) in flight, silhouetted at sunset, near Campbell Islands, Sub-Antarctic New Zealand. February.

Ole Jorgen Liodden / Light-mantled sooty albatross (Phoebetria palpebrata) in flight, Auckland Island, Sub-Antarctic New Zealand. February.

Ole Jorgen Liodden / Erect-crested penguin (Eudyptes sclateri) portrait on rocks, Antipodes Island, Sub-Antarctic New Zealand, March. Endangered species.

Ole Jorgen Liodden / Arctic tern (Sterna paridisea) mobbing, Arctic fox (Alopex lagopus) in Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway, July.

David Pattyn / Dalmatian pelicans (Pelecanus crispus) fighting for fish. Lake Kerkini, Greece. February. Vulnerable species.

David Pattyn / Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus) taking off from water, Lake Kerkini, Greece. February. Vulnerable species.

David Kjaer / Great bustard (Otis tarda) chicks hatched from eggs collected under licence from the Castilla-La Mancha region of Spain.

Erlend Haarberg / Three-toed woodpecker (Picoides tridactylus) on tree trunk, Sarek National Park, Laponia World Heritage Site, Lapland, Sweden, September.

Chris & Monique Fallows / Wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) flying off coast of South Georgia Island.

Tui De Roy / Erect-crested penguins (Eudyptes sclateri) portrait, Proclamation Island, Bounty Islands, New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands. Endemic to Antipodes and Bounty Islands. Endangered species.

Tui De Roy / Erect-crested penguins (Eudyptes sclateri) pair on coast, Proclamation Island, Bounty Islands, New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands. Endemic to Antipodes and Bounty Islands. Endangered species.

Andy Trowbridge / Two Yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) chicks standing together. Otago Peninsula, Otago, South Island, New Zealand, January. Endangered Species.

Andy Trowbridge / Four Yellow-eyed penguins (Megadyptes antipodes) walking up a sand dune towards their nests, Otago Peninsula, Otago, South Island, New Zealand. September. Endangered Species.

Tui De Roy / Snares Crested penguin (Eudyptes robustus) bathing in freshwater pool, Snares Island, New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands. Endemic and vulnerable species.

Tui De Roy / Erect-crested penguin (Eudyptes sclateri) pair. Antipodes Island, New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands. Endemic to Antipodes and Bounty Islands. Endangered species.

Tui De Roy / Erect-crested penguins (Eudyptes sclateri) feeding young chick. Antipodes Island, New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands. Endemic to Antipodes and Bounty Islands. Endangered species.

Tui De Roy / Erect-crested penguins (Eudyptes sclateri) pair. Proclamation Island, Bounty Islands, New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands. Endemic to Antipodes and Bounty Islands. Endangered species.

Tui De Roy / Erect-crested penguin (Eudyptes sclateri) pair in greeting display. Antipodes Island, New Zealand Sub-Antarctic Islands. Endemic to Antipodes and Bounty Islands. Endangered species.

Mark Jones / Snares-crested penguin (Eudyptes robustus) group climbing steep route to colony. Snares Island, New Zealand Subantarctic Islands. Endemic. Vulnerable species.

John Waters / Barn Owl (Tyto alba) hunting/hovering, Somerset, UK, trained bird.

Tui De Roy / Galapagos hawks (Buteo galapagoensis) in flight, Galapagos, Ecuador. Vulnerable species.

David Pattyn / Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) backlit adult bird at dawn. The Netherlands.May 2014

David Pattyn / Black necked grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) adult, The Netherlands.April 2014

David Pattyn / Black necked grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) pair at night, performing their courtship dance during the mating season, with street lights reflected in the water. The Netherlands.April 2014

David Pattyn / Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) adult running over the water surface during the courtship. The Netherlands. April 2014.Second place in the Species Story category of the Terre Sauvage Nature I...

David Pattyn / Black necked grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) adult in breeding plumage photographed at night with the reflection of street lights in the water. The Netherlands. March 2014. Winner of the Telephoto catego...

Espen Bergersen / Male Steller's eider (Polysticta stelleri) drinking on water with reflections of nearby buildings. Batsfjord, Norway. March.

Dong Lei / Chestnut-headed Tesia (Tesia castaneocoronata) perched, Sichuan Province, China.

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Black guillemot (Cepphus grylle) taking off, Denmark, May

Markus Varesvuo / White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) in flight with mountains in background, Hokkaido, Japan, February

Markus Varesvuo / Steller's Eagle (Haliaeteus pelagicus) in flight over snow, Hokkaido, Japan, February

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

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

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

Frederique Olivier / Adelie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) preening at edge of ice, Antarctica.

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Crested drongo (Dicrurus forficatus) rear view, Berenty Reserve, Madagascar.

Jack Dykinga / Male Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) flying amongst the clouds, Los Cuernos Peaks, Torres del Paine, Chile. March.

Andy Trowbridge / European Robin (Erithacus rubecula) perched on weathered branch. London, England, UK. December.

Ben Cranke / Arctic Redpoll (Carduelis hornemanni) perched on frosty plant, Finland. February.

Ben Cranke / European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) taking off, Norway, May.

Ben Cranke / Steller's Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus pelagicus) in flight, Hokkaido, Japan. February.

Matthew Maran / Mute swans (Cygnus olor) Highgate Ponds, Hampstead Heath, London, UK, February.

Ross Hoddinott / Brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) diving for fish with the Athala II boat in the background, Espumilla beach, Galapagos, Ecuador. April.

Sam Hobson / Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), adult female perched on scaffolding. Bristol, UK. December.

Sam Hobson / Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), colour-ringed juvenile in flight, carrying remains of brown rat. Berlin, Germany. July. Nominated in the Melvita Nature Images Awards competition 2014.