Robert Anderson, Diving Birds Catching Prey (ANIMALS 2026)

Diving birds can be exciting to observe and photograph. Once submerged they present the challenge of not knowing when or where they are going to re-surface and whether they will have caught anything in their beaks. If they have, the photographer has to react very quickly as the bird can swallow their prey in seconds. The Australasian Darter has the ability to spear a fish and then fling it up into the air before devouring it. The Pied Cormorant seems to have an infinitely expandable gullet. In this case, the bird tossed this impressively large fish around for about 30 seconds before positioning it headfirst and vertically for swallowing. The Little Pied Cormorant here used yet another technique – swinging the prawn around in the air before gulping it down. The three birds were photographed in three different locations – Central Coast NSW (Pied Cormorant), Wollongong – two lakes (Little Pied Cormorant and Pied Cormorant).

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.