Western Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus. Västmanland, Sweden.
Photographer: Erik Berg, Sweden. Category: Bird Behaviour. HONOURABLE MENTION.
Photographer’s Story: ‘I was out looking for owls in one of my favourite forests near home. When the sun had set behind the forest, I heard the characteristic “clucking” of a male Capercaillie just 40 metres away. I crawled closer in my camouflage clothing and managed to get quite close to him. He seemed to be paralyzed in his desperate attempt to attract a female. As available light was really poor, I decided to try to frame him as a silhouette against the warmly coloured sky. I instantly knew that this was something unique.’
Canon EOS 5D MkIV with Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens. 400mm focal length; 1/500 second; f/2.8; ISO 1,600. Handheld.
