Finnish wildlife photographer Tapani Linnanmäki has reached the final of the 2026 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards with a photograph of a white-tailed eagle crossing ice in Kustavi, on Finland’s southwest coast.
The photograph is among 40 finalists selected from more than 10,000 entries submitted from 112 countries. It captures the eagle walking across the ice with its legs crossed, creating an unusually human-looking pose that caught the attention of the competition’s judges.
Linnanmäki has titled the image “Fashion fades. Feather coats are forever.”
The nomination is not his first success in the competition. Two years ago, another photograph of a white-tailed eagle taken by Linnanmäki reached the final and later won the public vote. His latest finalist image once again focuses on a bird he has spent years photographing in the wild.
Speaking to Helsingin Sanomat, Linnanmäki said white-tailed eagles are among his favourite subjects. He has photographed thousands of images of the species and spent time observing how the birds move, particularly when they are handling fish.
“Even if it is not always comical in them, it is at least full of personality,” Linnanmäki told the newspaper.
Linnanmäki lives in Kustavi, an island municipality in Southwest Finland where he has photographed the country’s wildlife in its natural surroundings. His latest image was taken there, turning an ordinary movement across winter ice into the kind of unexpected moment that has become central to the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.
The white-tailed eagle itself also has an important place in Finland’s environmental history. The species became severely threatened in the country, but its population has recovered, making the birds increasingly visible in Finnish landscapes.
That conservation story is part of the wider purpose of the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards. While the competition is built around humorous and unexpected animal photographs, it also uses photography to raise awareness of wildlife conservation and biodiversity.
The 2026 finalists feature animals photographed in different parts of the world, with moments ranging from unusual behaviour to expressions and poses that appear surprisingly familiar to human observers. Linnanmäki’s eagle stands out for the simple timing of the image: a large bird crossing frozen water with its legs neatly positioned as though it were taking a deliberate walk.
The winners are due to be announced in London on 8 December. Until then, Linnanmäki’s photograph gives Finnish wildlife photography another place on an international stage, and marks his second appearance in the competition’s final in three years.
