Bird Image Seizing Flight Under Complete Solar Eclipse Earns 2025 Bird Photographer of the Year Honor

“The Frigatebird and the Diamond Ring” by Liron Gertsman, a photographer from Canada, has enchanted the world of photography by clinching the 2025 Bird Photographer of the Year award. The image depicts a Magnificent Frigatebird gliding in front of a total solar eclipse, particularly during the ‘diamond ring’ stage, achieved through careful planning and scouting along the coast of Mazatlán, Mexico. Gertsman’s photograph was chosen from more than 25,000 submissions, demonstrating not only technical skill but also inventiveness and commitment. The competition also acknowledged other photographers, such as Tomasz Michalski from Poland, who received the Young Bird Photographer of the Year accolade, and Steffen Foerster for his outstanding ‘Best Portrait’ of a Southern Giant Petrel. The award-winning images showcase various categories and are assembled in a coffee-table book available for purchase online. The competition invites photographers of all skill levels to take part, with submissions currently open for the 2026 contest.