The Cranes, Storks, Crakes, Rails and Swamphens competition was held in April-May 2021.  The following species were eligible: Brolga, Sarus Crane, Black-necked Stork, Lewin’s Rail, Buff-banded Rail, Lord Howe Woodhen, Chestnut Rail. Red-necked Crake, Red-legged Crake, Ruddy-breasted Crake, Baillon’s Crake, Australian Spotted Crake, Spotless Crake, White-browed Crake, Purple Swamphen. Pale-vented Bush-hen, Watercock, White-breasted Waterhen, Eurasian Coot, Dusky Moorhen, Common Moorhen, Black-tailed Native-hen and Tasmanian Native-hen.

The results of member voting for the top five images in each category are listed here.  This competition received good support from our members, with 227 images entered across the 3 competition levels by 82 photographers.  The Winner is the image which received the most votes; and we also show the next four highest placed images, rating them as Highly Commended if they received at least 90% of the votes for the winning image, and Commended for scores less than that.

Advanced Level – Cranes, Storks, Crakes, Rails and Swamphens

This category attracted 73 entries, from 25 photographers. 31 members voted, with the following result:

• Winner - Eurasian Coot, by Jason Moore (Image ID 46075)
• Commended - , by Jason Moore (Image ID 46307)
• Commended - Eurasian Coot, by Nathan Watson (Image ID 46403)
• Commended - Buff-banded Rail, by Steve Mantle (Image ID 45937)
• Commended - Brolga, by Beverley Van Praagh (Image ID 45844)

Intermediate Level – Cranes, Storks, Crakes, Rails and Swamphens

This category attracted 105 entries, from 41 photographers. 34 members voted, with the following result:

• Winner - Brolga, by Jennifer Carr (Image ID 45794)
• Commended - Eurasian Coot, by Mark Locker (Image ID 45925)
• Commended - Buff-banded Rail, by Graham Gall (Image ID 46386)
• Commended - Dusky Moorhen, by Steven Roe (Image ID 46438)
• Commended - Buff-banded Rail, by Jane Putland (Image ID 46126)

Entry Level – Cranes, Storks, Crakes, Rails and Swamphens

This category attracted 49 entries, from 16 photographers. 33 members voted, with the following result:

• Winner - Purple Swamphen, by Philip d'Auvergne (Image ID 46377)
• Commended - Australian Spotted Crake, by Linda Waters (Image ID 46289)
• Commended - Australian Spotted Crake, by Denise Denham (Image ID 45681)
• Commended - Eurasian Coot, by James Hider (Image ID 46419)
• Commended - Brolga, by Indrani Pathirage (Image ID 46434)