This Wood Duck was photographed in Montana by Steve Hinch when she raised up and flapped her wings after preening. The largest raptor in the world, this dramatic photo of a Steller’s Sea Eagle landing on winter ice in northern Japan was photographed by Isabel Guerra Clark. Considered one of the world’s most beautiful birds, a Resplendent Quetzal was bringing fruit to its nesting cavity in Costa Rica, where it was photographed by Aaron Baggenstos. A trio of fledgling Barred Owls taken in Maryland by Bogdan Alexandrescu is especially captivating.

After seeing the winning photographs referenced last week, now you can review the best of the rest: The Best 100 Bird Photos entered by 2,416 photographers during the 2021 Audubon Photography Contest! These photos feature birdlife at its most vivid, vulnerable, formidable, and playful. There are intimate portraits that reveal exquisite details, action photos that capture powerful birds on the hunt, and arresting images that celebrate a wide array of bird behavior. Prepare to be impressed by the resourcefulness of the bird photographers.

Now you can scroll through these superb images that feature birds in all their variety, and find out the backstory behind each photo. This year more than 8,770 photos and 261 videos were entered in the 12th annual Audubon Photography Awards. Eight stunning winners were selected by the panel of judges, along with 5 honorable mention photos, as noted in last week’s issue of The Birding Wire. Now you can view the Top 100 additional bird photos so you can pick your own favorites!

View the Top 100 bird photos from the 2021 Audubon Photography Contest at https://www.audubon.org/news/the-2021-audubon-photography-awards-top-100