So in my book a portrait is an image that tells the viewer something about the portrayed. For a bird, this usually means that something more than the face is included, because to human eyes, bird faces aren't very expressive.
In this image the sandpiper is shown in a very typical posture (running like a demon to escape a crashing wave) and in a very typical setting (the rocky surf). It fills much of the frame, but enough surroundings are included to give the viewer an idea of what sort of bird we're looking at. But obviously the jury is entitled to a different interpretation of the portrait theme!
Exif:
- Aperture: ƒ/5
- Camera: Canon EOS-1D Mark IV
- Taken: 22 February, 2015
- Focal length: 600mm
- ISO: 1250
- Shutter speed: 1/2000s