Second Place: 2022 Bird Portrait Contest

Second place in our 2022 Bird Portrait Contest goes to John Economaki from Lake Oswego, Oregon. He took this incredible shot at sunrise on Nickerson Beach in Long Island, New York, a place where lesser terns breed. “That chick was left alone,” Economaki recalled, “and while I was sitting in the sand, the mother came.”

Editor Laura Erickson, one of our judges, praised the image.

“The lesser tern is in dangerous decline – listed as threatened or of special concern in the coastal states where it nests and as federally endangered in its interior range,” she says. “Fortunately for those of us who love this beautiful bird, those who remain spend their time in the open, where we can see them and try to photograph them. But no matter how hard we try, few of us get results like this great photo. The exquisite face of the adult, pulled down to show every detail of the upper beak and the striking black and white head pattern, would make this photo a winner even without the alluring chick. born is captured in perfect profile, showcasing the colorful beak, large bright eye and exquisite feather detail, making the portrait of the chick a winner even without the adult. , this picture took my breath away.

Economaki used a Nikon Z 9, a 600mm f4 lens and a 1.4x teleconverter. Exposure data: 1/800 at f/5.6, +2EC, ISO 2500.

Many thanks to our panel of guest judges: editors Laura Erickson, Pete Dunne and Brian E. Small; professional photographer Marie Read; Outdoor photographer editors Dan Havlik and Kristan Ashworth; And Imagery resource editors William Brawley and Jeremy Gray.

See the first place winner

See the third place winner

See the finalists