First-prize winner: ROHAN PANDIT

Grey Peacock-Pheasant (Polyplectron bicalcaratum)

"This image was taken in Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary. Having tried to see this species earlier with no luck, I was not sure if call playback would work here. I tried it once and was so sure the bird won’t come out, that my camera was still in the bag. But after about a minute the bird suddenly came out on the road and went on the other side. I anticipated the crossing area and sat down on the road, praying it would cross again. And it did after a few minutes, pretty close to where I had expected. This was my first clear sighting of this species and I was thrilled to even photograph it!" - Rohan Pandit

Congratulations, Rohan!

Second-prize winner: RAKESH DHARESHWAR

Red-billed Blue Magpie (Urocissa erythrorhyncha)

"Capturing this bird was a very interesting assignment. The AF sensitivity was at 'hi' on my Mk III and it was difficult to get him in the frame and then pan. The AF just kept shifting between the background and the bird. I lowered the AF sensitivity to ensure I could pan without losing focus . And yes getting the whole bird without clipping either his head or tail was a task! In the end it was one of those images which made my trip worthwhile." - Rakesh Dhareshwar

Congratulations, Rakesh!

Third prize winner: SOUMYAJIT NANDY

Tibetan Sandgrouse (Syrrhaptes tibetanus )

"The Tibetan Sandgrouse is found in the mountain ranges of Central Asia, Tibet, Central China and the Himalayas. Their preferred habitats are mostly barren sandy plains near water. We saw this particular flock near the Tso Kar lake in the Ladakh region of Jammu & Kashmir state in India. After making some portrait images, I positioned myself and waited for them to take off. The open ground with mountains in the distance helped me to get a clear background for this flight shot." - Soumyajit Nandy

Congratulations, Soumyajit!