José Juan Hernández Martinez's Image

José Juan Hernández Martinez (Spain) witnesses the dizzying courtship display of a Canary Islands houbara.

José arrived at the houbara's courtship site at night. By the light of the Moon, he dug himself a low hide. From this vantage point he caught the bird's full puffed-out profile as it took a brief rest from its frenzied performance.

The male will return annually to its courtship site to perform its impressive displays. Raising the plumes from the front of its neck and throwing its head back, the male races forwards before circling back, then rests for just a few seconds before starting again.

The Canary Islands houbara is a subspecies of the African houbara, which appears to be in rapid decline across North Africa, mainly due to habitat loss and degradation but also hunting. On the Canaries, hunting is prohibited, but disturbance by off-road vehicles and collisions with powerlines means that now possibly fewer than 750 houbaras now remain.

Jen Guyton, photojournalist and judge said, 'Humour can be a really effective way to make a photograph compelling - this image really makes me smile. This houbara has so much character!'