Spectacular Winning Photos Of The European Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2023
The 2023 European Wildlife Photographer of the Year awards, hosted by the German Society for Nature Photography (GDT), have announced their winners, highlighting remarkable talent and commitment to encapsulating the beauty of nature.
Spanish photographer Javier Aznar González de Rueda stood out this year with his compelling visual narrative. His award-winning photograph, ‘Maternal Care,’ provides an intimate look at nature, depicting a mother stink bug caring for her offspring. Aznar González de Rueda’s photography not only captures the moment’s beauty but also emphasizes the significance of natural history knowledge, wildlife conservation advocacy, and the deep bond between humans and nature. His work sheds light on the animal kingdom’s delicate balance and nurturing essence, reminding us of the wonders present in our natural environment.
Overall Winner: Maternal Care by Javier Aznar González de Rueda
“In Ecuador’s largest protected area, Yasuní National Park, I was able to observe maternal care behaviour in the stink bug Antiteuchus tripterusover a two week period. The female bug guarded its clutch of eggs on a small branch.
This behaviour has been reported for other true bug species. To my surprise, it turned out that the mother bug not only protected the eggs but also the newly hatched larvae up to their first moult. In Ecuador’s rainforest, the stink bug’s brood is vulnerable to attack by numerous predators and parasitoids such as ichneumon wasps. Maternal care significantly increases the offspring’s chances of survival. The rainforest is ahighly complex ecosystem with countless organisms in a vast interconnected web of life.”
Birds: Winner – Bird in Forest by Csaba Daroczi
Mammals: Winner – Last Dance? by Jens Cullmann
Other Animals: Winner – Water Ballet by Marjan Artnak
Plants and Fungi: Winner – Lichen Dinner by Roberto Bueno
Landscapes: Winner – Volcanic Swirls by Joel Delmas
Underwater World: Winner – Nighttime Squadron by Catherine Holmes
Man and Nature: Winner – Lost at Sea by Angel Fitor
Nature´s Studio: Winner – Secret of the Mediterranean by Bruno D’Amicis
Young Photographers to 14 Years: Winner – Tightrope Artist by Alberto Roman Gomez
Young Photographers to 14 Years: Runnr Up – Conops Quadrifasciatus by Mattia Terreo
Young Photographer 15 to 17 Years: Winner – Wave by Luca Lorenz
Young Photographer 15 to 17 Years: Runner Up – Golden Hour by Anton Trexter
Fritz Pölking Prize by Jasper Doest
Fritz Pölking Junior Prize by Mateusz Piesiak
Birds: Runner Up – Silence by Jan Piecha
Mammals: Runner Up – Calm as Millpond by Ilkka Niskanen
Other Animals: Runner Up – Nest building by Solvin Zankl
Plants and Fungi: Runner Up – Defeated by Roberto Garcia Roa
Landscapes: Runner Up – Paradise by Florian Smit
Underwater World: Runner Up – Flamenco pose by Magnus Lundgren
Man and Nature: Runner Up – Wrapped up by Marella
Nature´s Studio: Runner Up – Transformation by Andrés Basilio Sagarna
Birds: Highly Commended – Cannibalism by Andrés Miguel Domínguez
Mammals: Rain graphic by Sergey Gorshkov
