The year's most spectacular bird snaps

The year's most spectacular bird photos including a kingfisher getting ready to devour its dinner have been revealed in their full glory. 

This year, Alejandro Prieto Rojas was named Bird Photographer of the Year for his memorable image of flamingos feeding their offspring in Mexico. 

Head competition judge Chris Packham said: 'As President of the British Trust for Ornithology I am proud to support Bird Photographer of the Year, a competition that will push bird photographers to new limits. We see lots of technically accomplished images and "nice" portraits of attractive species. But what we are looking for as judges are those images which have an instant and enduring "wow" factor. 

'To have been gifted with so many of these "wow" photos in the first two years of this competition is extraordinary, because photographing birds is enormously challenging. I am excited about seeing what this year brings and being involved again in choosing the best of the best.' 

The winning images are published in a book available for purchase from the British Trust for Ornithology and will be part of a traveling exhibition around the UK.

This stunning image called 'Catch of the day' by Vince Burton was the winner of the Nature Photographers Ltd people's choice award. Pictured, a common kingfisher in Suffolk, England

The battle: This shot is by Jose Garcia from Miami, Florida. He said: 'This Great White Heron fighting a green snake in the Florida Everglades. The fight lasted for nearly 20 minutes with the Heron having to release its prey'

This image of a great white pelican called 'Daily basket' by Ionel Onofras was taken in Romania. It was in the best portrait category

The winning submission: Photographer Alejandro Prieto Rojas won the top spot with this image of a famingo feeding its chick. It was taken at Rio Lagartos, Mexico. He will receive a £5,000 cash prize at an award ceremony. Mr Rojas took the photo during the annual feeding of the chicks. They are born with grey and white feathers and do not turn pink for a year or two

This image of whiskered tern called 'Calling for the Sun' by Ondrej Pelanek was taken in Hungary. It was the Gold award winner in the Young Bird Photographer of the Year category

This image of a willow grouse by Markus Varesvuo was part of his winning Best Portfolio 2017 category 

 This image of a Blue Tit on berries Markus Varesvuo was also part of his winning Best Portfolio 2017 category

Markus Varesvuo also featured this image of a gannet underwater for his Best Portfolio 2017 award

Head competition judge Chris Packham said: 'As President of the British Trust for Ornithology I am proud to support Bird Photographer of the Year, a competition that will push bird photographers to new limits.' Pictured, Great Grey Owl by Markus Varesvuo

He added: 'We see lots of technically accomplished images and 'nice' portraits of attractive species.' Pictured, Snowy Owl by Markus Varesvuo

This image of a bearded tit by Markus Varesvuo won an honourable mention in the Best Portrait 2017 category 

This image of male and female mallards by Francesco De Giuseppe won silver in the Creative Imagery 2017 category 

This image of whooper swans in snow by Wim van den Heever won bronze in the Creative Imagery 2017 category 

This image of a hovering barn owl by Jamie Hall won gold in the Birds in the Garden 2017 category 

This photograph of a starling in bird bath underexposed by Mohammad Murad won silver in the Birds in the Garden 2017 category 

This image of a willow grouse in the garden by Markus Varesvuo won bronze in the Birds in the Garden 2017 category 

This photo of a cormorant wing by Tom Hines won gold in the Attention to Detail 2017category 

This photo of a grey heron looking under wing by Ahmad Alessa won silver in the Attention to Detail 2017 category 

This image of an albatross eye close-up by Jessica Winter won bronze in the Attention to Detail 2017 category 

This photo of a guillemot stretching wing by Marc Weber won silver in the Best Portrait 2017 category 

This photo of fighting coots by Andy Parkinson won gold in the Bird Behaviour 2017 category 

This image of a diving kingfisher by Malek Alhazzaa won silver in the Bird Behaviour 2017 category 

This image of a swan's head underwater by Ian Wade won bronze in the Bird Behaviour 2017 category 

This photo of a red kite close-up by Jamie Hall won silver in the Birds in Flight 2017 category 

This image of a ptarmigan by Markus Varesvuo won bronze in the Birds in Flight 2017 category 

This image of a condor over mountains by Ben Hall won gold in the Birds in the Environment 2017 category 

This image of a crane flock on a misty lake by Piotr Chara won silver in the Birds in the Environment 2017 category 

This image of a blurred bird flock by Marc Weber won bronze in the Birds in the Environment 2017 category 

This photo of a female mallard by Daniel Stenberg won an honourable mention in the Birds in the Environment 2017 category 

This image by Bret Charman, from New South Wales, Australia, was the Gold award winner in the birds in flight category

This photo of a swimming eider by Pål Hermansen won bronze in Best Portrait 2017 category  

Breakfast and bedtime: Photographer Cheryl Schneider took this photo (left) of a Great White Heron catching a hapless fish which seems to be having something of an 'oh dear' moment. Georgina Steytler  from Toodyay, Western Australia, took this photo, right. She said: 'This common species of duck's most identifiable feature is the iridescent speculum feathers which are often only visible during preening or flight. I took this photo at a small lake. The still waters and the dark foliage of the background resulted in an opportunity to highlight the gorgeous feathers. I exaggerated the effect in Adobe Lightroom, but otherwise have not altered the original photo'

Terrifying new perspective: British photographer Tom Hines, from Harrow, Middlesex, took this extremely close-up shot of a lesser black-backed Gull in London's Hyde Park

Dark and stormy: This picture of Pitsea landfill was submitted to the category 'Birds in Flight' and was given an honourable mention. Photographer Gabor kapus, from Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, said: 'We were ringing gulls at Pitsea landfill using cannon nets to catch the birds, the camera was on the ground just at the front of the net. I was trying to capture the moment when the net is fired and is still in the air above the camera. As we were waiting to fire the net this fox walked right at the front of the camera scaring all birds into the air -but at least I took this great image'

Adorable: This shot of two Gentoo penguin chicks was taken by Richard Sidey, from New Zealand, in Antarctica

Balancing act: British photographer Tom Hines snapped this shot of a Western Jackdaw daintily perched atop a red deer in London's Richmond Park. The birds regularly groom the larger animal for ticks and other insects

Catching a lift:  Jonathan Gaunt from Kelso snapped this picture of a female goosander with her newly hatched brood

Astonishing: A female Cardinal contortio was captured on camera by photographer Gary Cook in Beavercreek, Ohio

Haunting: This bloodied feeding vulture was captured by Ali Alshamsi, from Doha, Qatar. He took the picture on the Maasai Mara National Reserve, an area of preserved savannah wilderness in southwestern Kenya

Kindergarden: Photographer Csaba Tokoly from Budapest, Hungary, captured this shot of Greylag goslings swimming 

Floral flight: Barn Owl hovering by Roy Rimmer of Wigan, Lancashire. POTY helps raise funds for the BTO, so far having raised over £5,500 from entry fees alone. The money has been used to help support the BTO's young birders programme, aimed at engaging a younger generation of naturalists and ornithologists

Scavengers: Marabou Storks were photographed by Daniel Rosengren,frmo Sweden. He said: 'Marabou Storks are scavengers, but they are not that good at ripping big pieces of meat off a carcass. Instead, they rely on other scavengers like hyenas or vultures to do that, so they can take the easy pickings from the ground. This photo was taken by placing the camera with a wide angle lens near the zebra carcass and trigger it with a remote from a distance.' The photo was taken in Tanzania

We're here to see the flying doctor! How birds of prey collected by the wealthy in the Middle East have their own specialist hospital and can cost up to £8,000 each

• Collecting birds of prey is a tradition in Arabian peninsula dating back centuries
• Many men in oil-rich Arab states spend thousands of pounds on beloved birds
• Specialist bird hospital in Abu Dhabi kitted out with the latest laser technology

It was the photograph that became an internet sensation - 80 birds of prey travelling in the cabin of a passenger jet.

But the bizarre scene may not have been as unusual as you might suspect.

Many wealthy Arabs collect falcons and the creatures receive care and treatment that is second to none.

Birds of prey wait for health checks and other treatments at the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital

The birds, which cost at least £8,000 each, are carried around in luxury cars, exhibited with pride and even have the services of a specialist falcon hospital in Abu Dhabi.

Several Middle East-based airlines have set rules and prices for owners who wish to take their birds aboard as living hand luggage.

Falconry is an ancient art regarded as integral to Arab heritage and culture.

It is thought to have been practised in the Middle East for thousands of years, as Bedouin tribes used the birds to hunt in the desert.

Around 9,000 birds are treated each year for a range of ailments at the Abu Dhabi hospital

Combined with some of the vast wealth to be found in oil-rich Middle Eastern countries, it is not surprising the birds are often a little on the spoilt side.

Owners ensure the birds are tagged with GPS devices in case they get lost.

Prized specimens can reach huge sums, with outstanding breeding birds even selling for as much as £1million.

The falcons are trained using toy aircraft or drones which are flown with bait attached by strings, encouraging the creatures to perform in mid-air.

The photo which emerged earlier this week showed 80 birds of prey filling the cabin of a commercial plane.

The photo, uploaded to Reddit by a user known only as Lensoo, carried the caption ‘My captain friend sent me this photo. Saudi prince bought ticket for his 80 hawks'.

The birds were wearing special hoods to keep them docile and perched calmly among the human passengers.

This extraordinary photograph showed 80 hawks who had been booked on a plane by a Saudi prince

Falconry fans take their birds on a Qatar Airways flight to Baku. They escape the heat of Doha for a week to let the birds fly in the cooler air of Azerbaijan

It is believed the birds were booked onto a Qatar Airways flight but this has not been confirmed.

Qatar Airways guidelines states: ‘You are permitted to carry one falcon on board the economy class passenger cabin of an aircraft, and a maximum of six falcons are permitted within the economy class cabin of an aircraft (country regulations may apply)'.

Transporting the animals with the airline costs between £90 and £500 per bird depending on the destination.

It means the 80 creatures may have cost as much as £40,000 to transport on this one trip.

The Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital says it is the largest of its kind in the world.

Qatari men hold their prized peregrine falcons on a bus after landing at Doha airport

Established in 1999, it treats and examines about 11,200 falcons a year, with customers travelling from across the United Arab Emirates and from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.

The hospital boasts an operating theatre, advanced anaesthetic equipment, an ophthalmology unit, patient monitoring apparatus, latest laser technology, a digital radiography unit and endoscopy facilities.

The hospital says it has ‘state-of-the-art intensive critical care units’ for up to 11 birds in separate rooms at the same time.

There is also a separate falcon pox unit with thermo-cautery apparatus and other equipment to treat cases of avian pox.

It also has its own breeding centre.

I’m flying without wings! Magnificent white Lipizzaner horse glides through the air as it prepares for show at Wembley

• The airborn horse is doing a move known as the carpiole -  which literally translates as goat's leap
• Other moves include the levade, in which the horse rests its weight on its hind legs and lifts its front legs
• The Spanish Riding School of Vienna is celebrating its 450th anniversary with a tour of Britain 

Like Pegasus without the wings, this majestic horse glides effortlessly through the air.

Indeed, it seems as if the long rein held by its handler are all that is stopping the mighty stallion soaring right out of the arena.

This is one of the magnificent white Lipizzaners being put through its paces in a move known as the capriole.

It seems as if the long rein held by its handler are all that is stopping this mighty stallion soaring right out of the arena as it demonstrates the capriole

Other moves include the levade, an extraordinary test of balance in which the horse rests its weight on its hind legs and lifts its front legs no more than 35 degrees from the ground 

The beautiful horses, which are part of the celebrated Spanish Riding School of Vienna, were demonstrating their grace and athleticism during a dress rehearsal at Wembley Arena yesterday

Literally meaning ‘goat’s leap’, it requires the animal to jump into the air and kick out with its hind legs before landing.

The beautiful horses, which are part of the celebrated Spanish Riding School of Vienna, were demonstrating their grace and athleticism during a dress rehearsal at Wembley Arena yesterday.

The famed equestrian academy, which is celebrating its 450th anniversary, is stunning audiences with their complex dressage routines as they tour Britain.

Other moves include the levade, an extraordinary test of balance in which the horse rests its weight on its hind legs and lifts its front legs no more than 35 degrees from the ground. 

The famed equestrian academy, which is celebrating its 450th anniversary, is stunning audiences with their complex dressage routines as they tour Britain

Florian Bacher reins his horse during in during the practice session at Wembley Arena

Literally meaning ‘goat’s leap’, the capriole requires the animal to jump into the air and kick out with its hind legs before landing