Hermann Brehm / Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) in flight, Germany, April. May

Phil Savoie / Blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) bringing Crab spider (Misumena vatia) prey to nest, Monmouthshire Wales, UK, May.

Oscar Dewhurst / Mute swan (Cygnus olor), two cygnets sheltering under parent's wing. Richmond Park, London, England, UK. April.

Guy Edwardes / Barn owl (Tyto alba) in flight above post and wildflowers, in morning light. The Hawk Conservancy Trust, Hampshire, England, UK. July. Captive.

Piotr Naskrecki / Termite (Macrotermes mossambicus) winged individual on pile of wings shed by other termites, with winged male Carpenter ants (Camponotus). Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. Highly commended in the...

Oscar Dewhurst / Hoatzin (Ophisthocomus hoazin) perched on wooden bar overlooking oxbow lake. Manu National Park, Madre de Dios, Peru. September

John Chan / Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) chicks stretching and flapping their wings, Southern California, USA, May.

Andy Rouse / Barn owl (Tyto alba) hunting with sunset light on wings, UK. March.

John Cancalosi / Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) chick stretching its wings in nest in a Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea), is groomed by its parent, Sonoran Desert, Arizona, USA, May.

Bernard Castelein / Sarus crane (Grus antigone), male displaying, Keoladeo NP, Bharatpur, India

Bernard Castelein / Darter ( Anhinga melanogaster) drying wings, Keoladeo NP, Bharatpur, India

Bernard Castelein / Intermediate egret (Egrettta intermedia), Keoladeo NP, Bharatpur, India

Marie Read / Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilocus colubris), male flying in to feed from cardinal flowers (Lobelia cardinalis) New York, USA. August.

Marie Read / Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) male displaying in cattail marsh, Viera Wetlands, Brevard County, Florida, USA, January.

Marie Read / Canada geese (Branta canadensis) two during territorial fight in early spring, Ithaca. New York, USA

Marie Read / Eastern bluebird (Sialia sialis) male fluttering wings while perched on cherry (Prunus sp.) branch in spring, New York, USA, April.

Marie Read / Arctic terns (Sterna paradisaea), two in flight over nesting colony in field of buttercups (Ranunculus sp.), Keflavik, Iceland. Digital canvas expansion.

Marie Read / American avocets (Recurvirostra americana) two during aggressive (territorial) encounter, Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Utah, USA, May.

David Pattyn / Great white egret (Egretta Alba) preening its feathers, Valkenhorst Nature Reserve, Valkenswaard, The Netherlands, July

Markus Varesvuo / Jay (Garrulus glandarius), two fighting in mid-air with another observing. Norway. October.

Markus Varesvuo / Jay (Garrulus glandarius), two fighting in mid-air with another observing. Norway. October.

Markus Varesvuo / Blue tit (Parus caeruleus) perched on tree trunk, looking at camera with wing stretched. Haukipudas, Finland. January.

Alex Hyde / Group of Tissue moths (Triphosa dubitata) hibernating in a limestone cave. Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, UK. November.

Staffan Widstrand / Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) in flight over snow. Kalvtrask, Vasterbotten, Lapland, Sweden. January.

George Sanker / Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea), two fighting in mid-air. Machias Seal Island, New Brunswick / Maine, Canada / USA. July.

John Chan / Elegant tern (Thalasseus elegans) with a broken wing, attempting to take off, Southern California, USA, April.

John Chan / Western gulls (Larus occidentalis) attacking an Elegant tern (Thalasseus elegans) with a broken wing, Southern California, USA, April.

Stefan Christmann / Emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) chicks aged 20-24 weeks stretching wings, in moult whilst parents fish at sea. Atka Bay, Antarctica. January.

Stefan Christmann / Emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) chick aged six to eight weeks stretching whilst on brooding parent's feet. Adult looking down at chick. Atka Bay, Antarctica. September.

Sven Zacek / Ural owl (Strix uralensis) female on nest, male landing with twig in beak. Tartumaa, Southern Estonia. April.

Sven Zacek / Ural owl (Strix uralensis) female feeding at nest on rodent prey presented by mate. Tartumaa, Southern Estonia. April.

Sven Zacek / Ural owl (Strix uralensis) female on the nest with nestling hidden under wing. Tartumaa, Southern Estonia. April.

Sven Zacek / Ural owl (Strix uralensis) female stretching wings whilst perched in Spruce (Picea sp) tree. Tartumaa, Southern Estonia. May.

Sven Zacek / Ural owl (Strix uralensis) female in flight having taken off from nest, in evening light. Tartumaa, Southern Estonia. May.

Paul Hobson / Marsh fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia), group feeding on Marsh thistle (Cirsium palustre). Lincolnshire, England, UK.

Paul Hobson / Rivoli's hummingbird (Eugenes fulgens) nectaring on Fuchsia (Fuchsia sp) flower. Costa Rica.

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) fishing. Rothiemurchus, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, UK.

Tui De Roy / Flightless cormorant (Phalacrocorax harrisi), two on rock. Bird drying wings in foreground with other sitting on nest in background. Cape Douglas, Fernandina Island, Galapagos.

Tui De Roy / Blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii) diving towards sea, folding wings. Northeast coast, Santiago Island, Galapagos. Sequence 1/2.

Tui De Roy / Blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii) landing. Punta Vicente Roca, Isabela Island, Galapagos.

Tui De Roy / Blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii) coming in to land. Punta Vicente Roca, Isabela Island, Galapagos.

Tui De Roy / Blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii), five diving into sea. Espumilla Beach, Santiago Island, Galapagos.

David Tipling / Wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) Southern Ocean near South Georgia, November

Nick Garbutt / Red-and-green macaw (Ara chloropterus) flock flying in front of clay lick. Heath River, Tambopata / Bahuaja-Sonene Reserves, Amazonia, Peru / Bolivia border.

Staffan Widstrand / Wild Wonders of China / Chinese Sparrowhawk (Accipiter soloensis) flying Guangshui, Hubei province, China. July.

Staffan Widstrand / Wild Wonders of China / Great pied hornbill (Buceros bicornis) male bird photographed in flight in Hong Bung He, Dehong, Yunnan, China

Bence Mate / Great white egret (Ardea alba) group of three in winter, Kiskunsag National Park, Hungary. Winner of the Bird Category of Nature Photographer of the Year Awards 2018.

Guy Edwardes / African fish eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer), Savuti, Botswana.

Guy Edwardes / Reed cormorant (Microcarbo africanus) perched on termite mound, Khwai, Botswana.

Ralph Martin/ BIA / Oldworld Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) wing, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany

Konrad Wothe / Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) male calling, East Frisian Islands, Wittbulten National Park. Wadden Sea UNESCO World Heritage Site, Germany, June.

Markus Varesvuo / Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) close up of juvenile in flight, Flatanger, Norway, October.

Markus Varesvuo / Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetus) landing, Kuusamo, Finland, January.

Theo Bosboom / Close up of Banded demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) wings, Roosendaal, the Netherlands, July.

Claudio Contreras / Caribbean Flamingo (Phoenicopterus ruber) chick under the wing of protective parent, breeding colony, Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, June.Finalist in the Portfolio Category...

Tui De Roy / Flightless cormorant (Phalacrocorax harrisi) silhouetted, Punta Espinosa, Fernandina Island, Galapagos

Ross Hoddinott / Small pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly (Boloria selene), Marsland mouth, Cornwall, UK. JUne 2016.

Frederique Olivier / Pair of Blue footed boobies (Sula nebouxii) courting, with the male picking up and offering grass, Isla Lobos de Terra, Peru.

Peter Bassett / Wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) chick stretching its wings, Prion Island, South Georgia.

David Pattyn / Great crested grebe (Podiceps cristatus) stretching its wings. The Netherlands. June 2014

Dietmar Nill / European hornet (Vespa crabro) fanning nest with wings to regulate the temperature, Germany, September.

Dietmar Nill / Slow motion clip of a Greater horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) catching a moth in flight, Germany, captive.

Ingo Arndt / Bower of Vogelkop Bowerbird (Amblyornis inornatus) decorated with various types of leafs, beetle wing covers, black and brown fungi, red flowers and blue berries, Arfak Mountains, West Papua, Indonesi...

Ingo Arndt / Baya weaver (Ploceus philippinus) male flying to nest entrance, Singapore

Ingo Arndt / Great frigatebird (Fregata minor listeri) drinking freshwater on the wing, Christmas Island, Indian Ocean, Australian Territory, November

Ingo Arndt / Close-up of eyes on wing of Common Morpho butterfly (Morpho peleides) Costa Rica

Ingo Arndt / Close-up of wing detail of Emperor swallowtail butterfly (Papilio ophidicephalus) Africa

Markus Varesvuo / Hawk owl (Surnia ulula) takingn off from powder snow, possibly with prey in talons, Kuusamo Finland February

John Abbott / Glorious scarab (Chrysina gloriosa) flying, Brewster County, Texas, USA. Controlled conditions. August

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) flapping with sand eels in beak, in evening light, Fair Isle, Shetland, Scotland, UK, June.

Alan Murphy/ BIA / Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) in broken wing display, Texas

David Kjaer / Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) coming in to land, Spain, July

David Kjaer / Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus)) coming in to land, Spain, July

Neil Aldridge / Portrait of an African darter (Anhinga rufa) on the Chobe River, Chobe National Park, Botswana.

Alex Hyde / Silk moth (Automeris zugana) sequence 1 of 2, photographed on a white background in mobile field studio, Cordillera de Talamanca mountain range, Caribbean Slopes, Costa Rica.

Alex Hyde / Silk moth (Automeris zugana) sequence 2 of 2, with wings open to reveal eyespots, a means of deterring predators, photographed on a white background in mobile field studio, Cordillera de Talamanca mou...

David Pattyn / Gannet (Morus bassanus) coming in to land in the colony in evening light, Great Saltee, Saltee Islands, County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, June

Danny Green / Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica) wing stretching with sand eels in beak, Flannan Isles, Scotland, UK, July

Pal Hermansen / Hoverfly in flight, backlight, Norway, September.

Wim van den Heever / Egytian Goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) rear view bathing, sings spread, Zimanga Private Game Reserves, South Africa

Bence Mate / Grey herons (Ardea cinerea) fighting in flight, Lake Csaj, Kiskunsagi National Park, Pusztaszer, Hungary.

Bence Mate / Graylag gosling (Anser anser) resting under parent's wing, Pusztaszer, Kiskunsagi National Park, Pusztaszer, Hungary.

Bence Mate / European bee eaters (Merops apiaster) one taking off another perched, Kiskunsagi National Park, Pusztaszer, Hungary. May.

Bence Mate / Graylag gosling (Anser anser) resting under parent's wing, Kiskunsagi National Park, Pusztaszer, Hungary.

Bence Mate / Grey herons (Ardea cinerea) fighting, Lake Csaj, Kiskunsagi National Park, Pusztaszer, Hungary. June.

Luis Quinta / Great shearwater (Puffinus gravis) on ocean, near the Fonte da Telha Beach, Portugal, October.

Michael Milicia/ BIA / Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) in broken wing display, Massachusetts

Alex Hyde / Lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) roosting in cave. Croatia. November.

David Pattyn / Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) flying, Leukerbad, Valais, Switzerland, February

Jussi Murtosaari / Garden warbler (Sylvia borin), catching flies in willow tree, Korpoo, Uto, Finland, May.

Michel Poinsignon / Grey heron (Ardea cinerea) landing on lake, Pusztaszer, Hungary, April

Wim van den Heever / Toco toucan (Ramphastos toco) in flight, Pantanal, Brazil.

Wim van den Heever / White-fronted bee-eaters (Merops bullockoides) perched near to nesting holes Chobe National Park, Botswana.

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 eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) caught in a fight. Hokkaido Japan, March.

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