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Bence Máté's Image
Bence spent 48 hours in his hide looking out over the pelicans feeding on the mudflats. ‘They came so close,’ says Bence, ‘I could make out the tiniest details’. Here he framed the face of a female, its orange-tinted skin and the yellow folds of its pouch contrasting with its blue beak.
The spectacular bill of the great white pelican is a useful tool. Feeding in a group, up to 12 birds form a horseshoe, herding fish into shallow water then catching them in their flexible pouches. However, these majestic birds are at risk – the swamps and marshes they depend on are disappearing.
Behind the lens
Bence Máté
Hungary
Bence is a wildlife photographer from Hungary. Since 2008 he has been designing wildlife photography hides around the world, including in Hungary, Costa Rica, Brazil, Norway, South Africa and Transylvania (Romania). He was named Wildlife Photographer of the Year in 2010.
Image details
- Nikon D200
- Sigma 300-800mm f5.6 lens at 800mm
- 1/160 sec at f8 • ISO 320
- Danube Delta, Romania
Copyright in WPY competition photographs remains the property of the respective photographers. You may not copy, share, reproduce or republish the photographs except as expressly permitted by copyright law. For media image usage enquiries, please contact us.
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