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.”

More: GDT h/t: 121clicks

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