Parakeet biting tree-climbing lizard wins top bird photography award
The stunning shot was captured in India.
(Hira Punjabi / SINWP via SWNS)
By Imogen Howse
This striking picture showing a parakeet attacking a tree-climbing lizard has won a top photography award.
Hira Punjabi, from Maharashtra, India, took a stunning photo in Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan back in January 2024.
(Thomas McDonnell / SINWP via SWNS)
She had to wait by the same tree for four days to get the perfect action shot - but her patience paid off as she managed to capture the moment the bird bit down on the lizard's tail.
The image placed first in the SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year 2024, in aid of RSPB.
Hira said: "This is a sanctuary where many migratory birds come in winter.
"The last 30 years [I have visited the park], I had observed this behavior of birds attacking snake and lizards - as they feed on bird eggs.
(Maggie Bullock / SINWP via SWNS)
"So I continued observing the same tree [for four days] and one morning a pair of parakeets came along with some 10 birds and started attacking the lizards.
"The whole drama lasted for an hour or so and I managed to shoot many images. But this one is my favorite."
Second place was awarded to Thomas McDonnell from County Antrim, Northern Ireland, for a photo of a bird mid-flight - and third place went to Maggie Bullock from Cheshire for a shot of an owl.
Since its inception, the SINWP Bird Photographer of the Year has raised an impressive £16,138 to support vital conservation efforts led by the RSPB.
This year, £2,867 was raised.
Hira shot the winning photograph with a Nikon Z9 with 600mm VR TC lens.
The competition was judged by specialists Jon Ashton ARPS, Charles Farnell ARPS, and Tracy Lund FSINWP.
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