Sometimes you just need to see the video. Take the winning clip in the 2024 APP Photography Awards, which shows two Purple Gallinules aggressively fending off an intruder with their spindly yellow feet. Sure, a photo could have dutifully captured the moment, but that’s a scene you want to watch. And yet, as this year's runner-up video of American Avocets taking flight against an ocean sunrise reminds us, a peaceful scene can also enthrall us.
While the videos included here didn’t take the top awards, they also impressed our judges and required just as much planning and care by the videographers. From a pair of cuddly condors to a super slow-mo Resplendent Quetzal, they capture some of our most charismatic species in a range of behaviors. Two clips even invite you to crank up the volume—and you’ll be glad you did.
So sit back, enjoy the show, and be sure to read the story behind each scene. For folks already recording video, maybe these clips will inspire you to enter next year’s contest, beginning in January. And for those who have yet to dabble in digital video recording, check out our handy beginner’s guide for shooting quality bird videos on your digital camera. As with anything, now is the perfect time to get started.
American Bittern by Cameron Hunter
Location: Scots Lake, Alberta, Canada
Technical details: Nikon Z6 with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 200-500 f/5.6 lens and a Deity V-mic D3 Pro Microphone; 1/250 sec at f/7.1; ISO 400
Behind the Shot: We’d been birding in the smoky haze, navigating backroads shrouded in thick wildfire smoke. As we pulled up to Scots Lake, we heard an unusual but welcome sound—the distinct, low- frequency pump-er-lunk call of the American Bittern. This was my first time hearing their vocalization in the wild, and the smoky conditions lent the call an eerie quality. Scanning the dense vegetation, we heard it again, this time coming from the other side of the jetty we were standing on. Two American Bitterns were calling, and soon we spotted a male and female chasing each other around the marsh. A short while later, a third bittern emerged from the dense vegetation and elevated itself on a grassy mound. It began shaking its head and inflating its neck; what came after was the sound—a spectacular display of their call.
Burrowing Owls by Loren Merrill
Location: Cape Coral, Florida
Technical Details: Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with a Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM lens and a Canon Extender EF 2X III; 1/1000 sec at f/10; ISO 1250
Behind the Shot: In March 2022, I visited Cape Coral, Florida to see the resident Burrowing Owls. These small owls prefer open habitats, including small patches of grass and sand within the suburban matrix of coastal Florida. I arrived at a recreational complex that had a small group of owls just after sunrise. The previous evening I had found a pair that was gearing up for the breeding season (I even witnessed them copulating) and focused my attention on their burrow. I had my camera on a tripod as low to the ground as possible to be eye-level with the birds. There was a lot of human activity in the area, and I constantly needed to remind myself to not get distracted. I am drawn to this video clip because it captures an interesting behavior (the burrow cleanup) coupled with the humor of the male getting pelted by the sand. I think people can relate to a scenario like this, and my hope is that if the public can connect with these animals, they will want to help protect them.
Resplendent Quetzal by Rajesh Mohan
Location: San Gerardo de Dota province, near Parc Nacional Los Quetzales, Costa Rica
Technical Details: Chronos 2.1-HD with a Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens at 400mm and an adaptor between the Chronos and Canon; 1/2400 sec at F/11; ISO 2000
Behind the Shot: The technology behind this video is a specialized camera that captures 1,000 frames per second. With this, a scene can be slowed by 40 times with utmost clarity. The camera, a Chronos 2.1 HD, is not easy to use in an unpredictable setting in natural light. It took much trial and error to capture high-quality videos in the field. The rest is just anticipating action and using pre-focus and depth of field to get sharp videos. An action that lasts the blink of an eye can now be watched over several seconds, opening a whole new way of experiencing nature. I had already visualized the flight of a Resplendent Quetzal in super-slow motion. I only needed to time my trip to Costa Rica during the nesting season. A guide set me up in this known nesting location. I never imagined that the bird would be so quick—the actual time for this flight is three-quarters of a second. It took me two days to capture the scene I had imagined.
Black Skimmer by Steven Chu
Location: Nickerson Beach, New York
Technical Details: Nikon Z9 with a Nikon NIKKOR Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens; 1/320 sec at f/6.3; ISO
Behind the Shot: My friend sent me a message that the beach where we frequent had developed ponds, which sometimes happens where there is a storm out at sea. I love when this happens because it gives me an opportunity to see Black Skimmers skimming along the water directly on the beach, allowing me to position myself where I can get good lighting and a good look for the video. With great anticipation, I got my equipment together and made the trek to the beach. On this day, the wind was low, helping to show the details of the water trail being created from skimming, and allowing for a nice reflection. I sat low on the sand, positioning myself where I could get the skimmer going by but sitting high enough to catch the reflection. This was a juvenile skimmer, and I maneuvered myself to get the best angle.
Osprey by Steven Chu
Location: New Jersey
Technical Details: Nikon Z9 with a Nikon NIKKOR Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens; 1/250 sec at f/6.3; ISO 320
Behind the Shot: I love when spring arrives, because that means the Ospreys are returning to New Jersey from the south to feast on fish. I was anxious to make the two-and-a-half-hour trek to this location to see if I could capture some of the action. To get some good videography at this location, I need the correct wind at the right time. I was lucky on this day because I was able to position myself to get a near-eye-level shot. I find that most days that I come here, the wind is wrong or there are no fish. But, on this day, everything came together.
Sandhill Cranes by Jeff Buss
Location: Iain Nicolson APP Center at Rowe Sanctuary, Kearney, Nebraska
Technical Details: Sony FX3 with a Sony FE 200-600mm F/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens at 600mm; 1/240 sec at F7.1; ISO 12,800
Behind the Shot: My partner and I have always been enchanted by the striking figure and otherworldly calls of Sandhill Cranes. So in the spring of 2021, we drove to Nebraska to witness them en masse as they migrated along the Platte River. We secured a photo blind at APP’s , hunkering down as the sun gradually receded and scores of birds appeared on the horizon, leisurely gliding across the sky. The landscape reverberated with their primordial calls, and eventually they landed on the sandbars in front of us to roost in the river’s shallows for the night.
Burrowing Owls by Jerry Ling
Location: Vista View Park, Davie, Florida
Technical Details: Sony a7 IV with a Sony FE 200-600mm F/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens at 600mm; ISO 800
Behind the Shot: In my experience, the Burrowing Owl has been a very cooperative subject for both photography and videography. On the day this video was taken, my plan was to capture a photo of the bird with a dramatic sunset in the background. When I am not actively taking pictures, I like to get some video footage. The moment I started recording, one owl jumped onto the back of the other and started mating. What’s funny is that I was actually on the “wrong” setting when this happened. When I record videos of birds, I like to shoot in 4k 60p so that I can slow them down in post. On my camera, shooting in this mode will also automatically perform a 1.5x crop. After I got home, I realized I shot this on 4k 30p. Although I can no longer put it in slow motion, if I had shot in the “correct” mode, the framing would’ve been too tight and the clip would’ve been ruined. I have gotten many great images through careful planning, but surprises like this one end up being some of my most cherished moments in nature.
California Condors by Andrew Orr
Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico
Technical details: Nikon Z9 with a Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 600mm f/4E FL ED VR lens; 1/200 sec at f/7.1; ISO 1000
Behind the Shot: Perched high on a cliff above the Colorado River, two condors (#817 and #741) playfully interact. These birds are part of an ongoing reintroduction program aimed at restoring California Condor populations to their historic ranges in the southwestern United States. The tags (“17” and “P8”) are used by raptor biologists to identify and monitor each bird. These tags correspond to entries in a “stud book,” a master list of every condor since the original 22 were taken from the wild to begin a captive breeding program. Today, there are around 560 California Condors, with approximately 340 free-flying in the wild.
Crested Caracaras by Tim Timmis
Location: Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, Anahuac, Texas
Technical Details: Canon EOS R3 with a Canon RF 100-500mm F/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens at 700mm and a Canon RF 1.4X Extender; 1/240 sec at F/10
Behind the Shot: While driving around Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, I saw two Crested Caracaras on fenceposts next to the road. I slowly worked my way closer in my car and ended up right next to them. I started taking photos out my window when all of a sudden one of the birds flung its head back in a mating display. After getting a couple of photos, I quickly switched to slow-motion video, which ended up being a great decision. After more head tilts, the male surprised me by launching and flying toward the female. She bent down slightly allowing him to land on top of her. They began mating, which happened very quickly. Due to the time limit for the contest, this is where this video ends. However, the action continued, and after mating, the male jumped off of her and landed on the fence post closer to me.
Waved Albatross by Liron Gertsman
Location: 貹ñDZa Island, Galápagos, Ecuador
Technical Details: Canon EOS R5 with a Canon RF 100-500mm F/4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens; 1/250 at f/7.1; ISO 1600
Behind the Shot: 貹ñDZa Island in the Galápagos is the primary breeding site for the beautiful Waved Albatross. These majestic birds return to the island each spring to find their mate and raise the next generation. Having dreamed of visiting the Galápagos Islands for most of my life, I specifically timed my trip during the albatross courtship season with the hopes of witnessing their display. As the sunset light illuminated the landscape, I watched in awe as this pair performed their courtship rituals. Filming in slow motion, I held my camera inches above the ground to capture an immersive perspective on the scene. Waved Albatross are critically endangered, having undergone population decline that may be due to fishing impacts (including bycatch), disturbance, and disease.