See funniest wildlife photos of 2023: Air guitar 'roo and feuding finches take top honors
Take a look at the hysterical wildlife photos that photographers captured around the world.
Watch: Funniest wildlife video of the year 2023
The funniest wildlife video of 2023 shows one penguin who felt the water was ‘too cold.’ Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards chose stills and video.
A kangaroo playing air guitar beat out 5,300 hilarious entries to take home top honors in this year’s Comedy Wildlife Photo Awards.
Founded in 2015 by two professional photographers, the popular annual contest is described as a "fun and free-to-enter photography competition unlike any other, showcasing seriously funny images of the Earth's most amazing wildlife."
Jason Moore’s photo of a kangaroo appearing to play air guitar in the suburbs of Perth, Australia, was the 2023 overall winner.
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The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023 Jason Moore Perth Australia Title: Air Guitar Roo Description: "I was driving past a mob of Western Grey Kangaroos feeding in an open field that was filled with attractive yellow flowers. I had my camera with me, so I stopped to grab a few photos. I suddenly noticed this individual adopt a humorous pose - to me it looks like he's practising strumming on his Air Guitar." Animal: Western Grey Kangaroo Location of shot: Perth, Australia
(© Photographer’s Name / Comedy Wildlife 2023 / FOX TV Digital Team)
"I had been out with my camera photographing some waterfowl at a nearby lake," Moore explained in a press release. "I had been up at sunrise to take advantage of the ‘golden hour’ light, but it turned out to be a disappointing morning on the water. After leaving the lake, somewhat dejected, I decided to swing past an area of open bushland that I know of, because there are often a ‘mob’ of kangaroos feeding and sunning themselves in a field close to the road.
"When I arrived, there were a number of kangaroos in the field," Moore continued. "The morning light was still favourable, so I grabbed my camera and headed off to a spot where I could get down to eye level with my subjects, amongst the biting ticks (the lengths we go to, just to get that perfect image.) I ended up shooting about 40 or 50 frames of the Kangaroos with various content including Mum’s, Joey’s and also some action shots of them bouncing along through the yellow field."
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The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023 Jacek Stankiewicz Kraków Poland Title: Dispute Description: "I caught this scene while watching birds in the Bialowieza Forest. Young greenfinch was still fed by parents. However, from time to time birds looked like having argument. My friends interpret this scene in two ways. 1 A young naughty kid is arguing with a parent. 2. One kid is reporting to the parent that its brother did something wrong: look he has broken the glass in the window." Animal: Greenfinch (Chloris chloris) Location of shot: Bialowieza forest
(© Jacek Stankiewicz / Comedy Wildlife 2023 / FOX TV Digital Team)
There were six category winners for the 2023 contest, including young photographer Jacek Stankiewicz with his image of two greenfinches called "Dispute." Stankiewicz also earned the coveted people’s choice award.
The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023 An otter ballerina in Singapore.
(© Otter Kwek / Comedy Wildlife 2023 / FOX TV Digital Team)
Comedy wildlife video of the year went to Lily Bernau for her capture of a penguin who said "no thanks" to joining the rest of his colony for a cold sea plunge. See the video above.
See the other photos listed as "highly commended winners":
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Image 1 of 14The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023 Vittorio Ricci Genova Italy Title: Unexpected plunge Description: "An unusual and almost miserable end of a perfect moment, previously prepared, for a successfull fishing." Animal: Striated heron Location of shot: Zimanga Private Game Reserve, South Africa (© Vittorio Ricci / Comedy Wildlife 2023)
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Image 2 of 14The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023 Dakota Vaccaro Victor United States Title:"Excuse me sir but I think you're a little too young to be smoking". Description: "While I was working deep in the Virginian woods, a family of grey foxes took up residence under the deck of the abandoned cottage next to my work housing. One day while practicing their hunting skills on bits of moss and branches, one of the kits lunged at a small chunk of wood and started rolling around with his prize. Tired after his hunt the kit lounged on his belly still holding the wood in his mouth which gave the strong resemblance of a cigar. I was very envious of the kit at this moment cause who wouldn't want to just lay around all day relaxing." Animal: Grey Fox Location of shot: Virginia, USA (© Dakota Vaccaro / Comedy Wildlife 2023)
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Image 3 of 14The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023 Delphine Casimir Brussels Belgium Title: The rainforest dandy Description: "This picture was taken in the monkey forest in Ubud, Bali. This place is a crazy place where monkeys are king! sometimes they give a show, sometimes, they climb on you to look for fleas or steal the piece of biscuit you are trying to eat :-D" Animal: Monkey Location of shot: Bali (Indonesia) (© Delphine Casmir / Comedy Wildlife 2023)
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Image 4 of 14The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023 Jacques Poulard craponne France Title: Snowball ! Description: "A grouse is coming to me in a very cold winter." Svalbard Animal: white grouse Location of shot: Spitzberg (© Jacques Poulard / Comedy Wildlife 2023)
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Image 5 of 14The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023 John Blumenkamp Salt Lake City United States Title: Monday Blahs Description: "This Great Gray Owl spent most of the afternoon posing majestically and looking, well, wise. But for a moment or two after doing some elegant stretching, he/she would slump and give a look of 'is Monday over yet?'" Animal: Great Gray Owl Location of shot: Grand Teton National Park, USA (© John Blumenkamp / Comedy Wildlife 2023)
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Image 6 of 14The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023 Lara Mathews Melbourne Australia Title: Boing! Description: "Taken at Westerfolds Park, a beautiful and surprisingly wild pocket of land in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, famous for its kangaroo population. The mob was enjoying some morning sunshine when this joey decided to get silly and try his hand at boxing." Animal: Eastern Grey Kangaroo Location of shot: Westerfolds Park, Melbourne, Australia (© Lara Mathews / Comedy Wildlife 2023)
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Image 7 of 14The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023 Pratick Mondal Nagpur India Title: Look at right Bro... Description: "I was searching for Jackle in the jungle which was at an isolated place. I sat at a place and waited for Jackle. Then I saw a Macaque come out of the jungle and started itching its armpit keeping its' hand straight and at the same time, a deer also appeared behind the Macaque. Previsualize the image captured the moment." Animal: Macaque & Deer Location of shot: Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India (© Pratick Mondal/ Comedy Wildlife 2023)
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Image 8 of 14The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023 Tzahi Finkelstein Tel Aviv, Israel Title: the happy turtle Description: "The swamp turtle is surprised and smiles at the dragonfly resting on its nose." Animal: swamp turtle Location of shot: Jezreel Valley, Israel (© Tzahi Finkelstein / Comedy Wildlife 2023)
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Image 9 of 14The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023 Wendy Kaveney Buckeye United States Title: "That wasn't here yesterday!!" Description: "A white-winged dove appearing to fly head-on into a cholla cactus skeleton." Animal: White-winged Dove Location of shot: Buckeye, Arizona, USA (© Wendy Kaveney / Comedy Wildlife 2023)
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Image 10 of 14The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023 Zoe Ashdown Weston Super Mare United Kingdom Title: One for the family album Description: "With one having returned to the nest, the Northern Gannets had greeted each other with normal beak rubbing. Whilst firing off a load of shots to capture that encounter, they stopped and looked over, and at that moment this image was captured forever. How proud do they look with their chick between them!" Animal: Northern Gannet Location of shot: Yorkshire, UK (© Zoe Ashdown / Comedy Wildlife 2023)
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Image 11 of 14The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023 Tímea Ambrus Budapest Hungary Title: I finally learned to fly...or not?! Description: "The ground squirrel jumped as if he could fly. Unfortunately he has no wings. To his surprise he fell back to the ground." Animal: ground squirrel Location of shot: Austria (© Timea Ambrus / Comedy Wildlife 2023)
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Image 12 of 14The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023 Tímea Ambrus Budapest Hungary Title: I finally learned to fly...or not?! Description: "The ground squirrel jumped as if he could fly. Unfortunately he has no wings. To his surprise he fell back to the ground." Animal: ground squirrel Location of shot: Austria (© Timea Ambrus / Comedy Wildlife 2023)
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Image 13 of 14The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023 Tímea Ambrus Budapest Hungary Title: I finally learned to fly...or not?! Description: "The ground squirrel jumped as if he could fly. Unfortunately he has no wings. To his surprise he fell back to the ground." Animal: ground squirrel Location of shot: Austria (© Timea Ambrus / Comedy Wildlife 2023)
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Image 14 of 14The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2023 Tímea Ambrus Budapest Hungary Title: I finally learned to fly...or not?! Description: "The ground squirrel jumped as if he could fly. Unfortunately he has no wings. To his surprise he fell back to the ground." Animal: ground squirrel Location of shot: Austria (© Timea Ambrus / Comedy Wildlife 2023)
