Bloodthirsty by Thomas P. Peschak, Germany/South Africa — winner, Behaviour: birds. When rations run short on Wolf Island, in the remote northern Galápagos, the sharp-beaked ground finches become vampires. Their sitting targets are Nazca boobies and other large birds. The finches rely on a scant diet of seeds and insects, which regularly dries up, so they drink blood to survive. ‘I’ve seen more than half a dozen finches drinking from a single Nazca booby,’ says Tom. Rather than leave their nests the boobies tolerate the vampires, and the blood loss doesn’t seem to cause permanent harm. (Photo by Thomas P. Peschak/2018 Wildlife Photographer of the Year)

A military cadet gets help from a colleague to adjust her hair before taking part the military parade in Bucharest, Romania, Saturday, December 1, 2018, as thousands turned out Saturday to celebrate 100-years since Romania became a modern-day state, amid concerns about rule of law and the state of democracy. Crowds braved temperatures of minus 5 Celsius (23 Fahrenheit) to watch the military parade of troops, tanks and military vehicles. (Photo by Vadim Ghirda/AP Photo)

People stand in front of an murals at Lodhi Art District in New Delhi on March 24, 2019. Visitors throng Lodhi colony which has murals by dozens of Indian and international artists. (Photo by Sajjad Hussain/AFP Photo)

Tourists wearing protective face masks walk in Nanluoguxiang alley, a famous touristic spot at Hutong neighborhood, in Beijing, China, 01 May 2020. China is loosening up nationwide restrictions after months of lockdown over the coronavirus crisis. Labor Day in the country kicked off with a long weekend and an extended holiday, from 01 to 05 May, after the tourism industry has been hit during the coronavirus and COVID-19 disease pandemic. (Photo by Roman Pilipey/EPA/EFE)

Victoria of Bulgaria performs during the second semi-final of the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam, Netherlands, May 20, 2021. (Photo by Piroschka van de Wouw/Reuters)

People celebrate on a street in the neighborhood of Born, as the state of emergency decreed by the Spanish Government to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) gets lifted in Barcelona, Spain, May 9, 2021. (Photo by Nacho Doce/Reuters)

A participant kisses a trout after catching it with his bare hands during a trout catching contest at a pool in Hwacheon, South Korea, Saturday, January 7, 2023. The contest is part of an annual ice festival which draws over one million visitors every year. (Photo by Ahn Young-joon/AP Photo)

Lauren Metzler, founder of Sydney Mermaids, prepares for a swim at Manly Cove Beach in Sydney, Australia, Thursday, May 26, 2022. There is a strong need, especially after COVID-related lockdowns, to simply play and enjoy creativity, Metzler says. (Photo by Mark Baker/AP Photo)