PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
Hira Punjabi | Parakeet Bitting Monitor Lizard

Name: Hira Punjabi
Picture title: Parakeet Bitting Monitor Lizard
Category: People’s Choice
Nationality: India
Occupation: I have been a wildlife photographer for the past 30 years.

Technical information
Camera: NIKON Z9
Lens: NIKKOR 600MM WITH TC VR LENS
EXIF: 1/1250SEC @F/8 AND ISO 1600.

The photo was taken using a Gitzo 554O tripod with a Wimberly head.

Hira Punjabi says:

The image was taken at Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India. The park is considered one of the best in India for observing and photographing both resident and migratory bird species.

I have been visiting this park for the last 33 years, always making two trips each winter to photograph the migratory birds. The parakeets are resident birds of the park, and I’ve often observed conflicts between these birds and reptiles. The monitor lizards frequently invade the parakeet nesting sites, and on this occasion, a pair of parakeets managed to call in other parakeets. Together, they attacked the lizard.

In January of this year, I was fortunate to witness this dramatic scene for nearly 45 minutes, capturing some incredible behavioral shots of the species. It was truly a dream shot for me.