Photographing birds is no easy task. They can be unpredictable, constantly on the move, and often disappear just as quickly as they appear. Capturing a truly remarkable image takes patience, timing, and sometimes a little luck.
That’s part of what makes the images featured in the Audubon Photography Awards so impressive. Now in its 17th year, the competition celebrates photographers and videographers who capture the beauty and behavior of birds while highlighting the habitats and environments they depend on. The 2025 and 2026 editions also mark an important expansion, with photographers from Chile and Colombia joining those from the U.S. and Canada.
Explore the winners and honorable mentions of the 2025 and 2026 Audubon Photography Awards, and discover more about the competition and how it supports the mission of the National Audubon Society.
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#1 Grand Prize, U.S. & Canada, 2026 Winner: Jacqueline Burke
Species: Roseate Spoonbill
Location of the photo: St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park, St. Augustine, Florida, USA
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
To learn more about the competition, Bored Panda reached out to Megan Moriarty, the Communications Manager at the National Audubon Society, who connected us with Sabine Meyer, Photography Director at the National Audubon Society. She kindly shared her insights and perspective on the contest.
#2 Coastal Birds Of Chile, 2026 Winner: Gonzalo Bertolotto Quintana
Species: Gentoo Penguin
Location of the photo: Fildes Bay, Antarctica, in the vicinity of the Chilean bases
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#3 Plants For Birds, 2025 Winner: Barbara Swanson
Species: Brandt’s Cormorant, red grape algae and seagrass
Location: La Jolla, California, United States
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
When asked about the motivation behind starting the Photography Awards and how they relate to the mission of the National Audubon Society, Sabine shared with us that: “The Audubon Photography Awards are more than just a collection of breathtaking photos: over the years, it has matured into a platform to share the love of birds with our members. This has helped us grow and cultivate a community of conservation photographers, from budding teens to amateurs to professionals. With the addition last year of Conservation and Birds Without Borders prizes, the awards have also become a critical tool to advance Audubon’s conservation mission and initiatives.”
#4 Plants For Birds, 2026 Winner: Mike Henry
Species: Gila Woodpecker and saguaro cactus
Location of the photo: Tucson, Arizona, USA
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#5 Birds In Landscapes, Chile, 2026 Winner: Timothy Dhalleine
Species: Crested Caracara
Location of the photo: Torres del Paine National Park, Magallanes and Chilean Antarctic region, Chile
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
With thousands of submissions received each year (and participation continuing to grow), the competition brings together “talented photographers and videographers across the hemisphere,” Sabine noted. She described the growing response as particularly inspiring. As she explained, 2026 marks the second year judges have awarded prizes to residents of Chile and Colombia, alongside photographers from the United States and Canada, as part of their mission: “Our work follows birds across the hemisphere, and so do our photo and video awards!”
#6 Birds Without Borders, 2026 Winner: Rodrigo González Pairoa
Species: Black-browed Albatross
Location of the photo: Almirantazgo Fjord, Chile
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#7 Youth, 2025 Honorable Mention: Jake Hillygus
Species: Common Ravens
Location: Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, California, United States
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
To better understand the significance of Chile and Colombia being included as eligible countries for the Audubon Photography Awards Competition, Sabine redirected us to statements from two Audubon members: Javiera Ferreyra (Chile Country Director) and Camilo Cardozo (Colombia Country Director). They stated that the expansion helps “encourage more diverse perspectives, enriching the visual narrative of bird conservation.”
#8 Youth, 2025 Winner: Parham Pourahmad
Species: Long-eared Owl
Location: Coyote Hills Regional Park, Fremont, California, United States
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#9 Conservation Chile And Colombia, 2025 Winner: Luis Alberto Peña
Species: Savanna Hawk
Location: Cúcuta, Norte de Santander, Colombia
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
The awards also highlight the importance of migratory birds and the habitats they depend on. This is particularly relevant for Chile and Colombia, two countries with incredible bird diversity and important habitats for migratory species. Colombia is home to almost 20 percent of the world’s avian species, while hundreds of thousands of migratory shorebirds pass through Chile each year.
#10 Birds In Landscapes, 2026 Winner: Liron Gertsman
Species: White-tailed Tropicbird
Location of the photo: Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Volcano, Hawai’i, USA
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#11 Coastal Birds Of Chile, 2026 Honorable Mention: Marcelo Cárcamo Vera
Species: Red-legged Cormorant
Location of the photo: Pilolcura, Valdivia, Los Ríos region, Chile
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
Together, the growing reach of the Audubon Photography Awards reflects how photography can connect people and places across the Western Hemisphere, celebrate the remarkable diversity of birdlife, and inspire deeper appreciation for the species and habitats that need protection.
#12 Birds Without Borders, 2026 Honorable Mention: Rubén Barraza
Species: Spectacled Tyrant
Location of the photo: Elqui River Wetland, La Serena, Coquimbo Region, Chile
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#13 Birds In Landscapes Chile, 2025 Winner: Caro Aravena Costa
Species: Chilean Flamingos
Location: Puerto Natales, Magallanes, Chile
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#14 Birds In Landscapes Chile, 2025 Honorable Mention: Francisco Vera Núñez
Species: Austral Pygmy-Owl
Location: Coyhaique, Chile
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#15 Plants For Birds Colombia, 2025 Winner: Cristian Valencia
Species: Purple-backed Thornbill and Gaiadendron punctatum
Location: Villamaria, Caldas, Colombia
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#16 Conservation, 2026 Honorable Mention: Lourdes Venard
Species: Bald Eagle
Location of the photo: Coupeville, Washington, USA
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#17 Female Bird,, 2026 Winner: Gail Bisson
Species: Common Merganser
Location of the photo: East Bay Sandbar, Nova Scotia, Canada
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#18 Female Bird, 2026 Honorable Mention: Peter Brannon
Species: Common Nighthawk
Location of the photo: Tampa, Florida, USA
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#19 Birds In Landscapes, Colombia, 2026 Winner: Faber Mosquera Alvarez
Species: Oilbird
Location of the photo: Pijao, Quindío, Colombia. In the Cañón de los Guácharos
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#20 Birds In Landscapes, Chile, 2026 Honorable Mention: Paulo Olivier Hanshing
Species: Neotropic Cormorant
Location of the photo: near Caleta Talcaruca, Limarí, Coquimbo region, Chile
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#21 Plants For Birds, 2025 Honorable Mention: Sean Krepski
Species: Rose-breasted Grosbeak, dogwood tree
Location: Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York, United States
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#22 Grand Prize Chile And Colombia, 2025 Winner: Felipe Esteban Toledo Alarcón
Species: Ringed Kingfisher
Location: Saval Park, Valdivia, Los Ríos, Chile
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#23 Coastal Birds Chile, 2025 Honorable Mention: Solange Sepulveda
Species: Black-necked Stilt
Location: Papudo, Valparaíso, Chile
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#24 Coastal Birds Chile, 2025 Winner: Francisco Castro Escobar
Species: American Oystercatchers
Location: Antofagasta, Chile
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#25 Plants For Birds Colombia, 2025 Honorable Mention: Rubén Tórres
Species: Orange-winged Parrot and Blue-headed Parrot, Bactris sp.
Location: Yalí, Antioquia, Colombia
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#26 Plants For Birds, 2026 Honorable Mention: Kevin Lohman
Species: Brandt’s Cormorant and surfgrass
Location of the photo: Natural Bridges State Beach, Santa Cruz, California, USA
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#27 Conservation, 2026 Winner: Santiago Pérez Rincón
Species: Yellow-eared Parrot
Location of the photo: Anaime River Canyon, Rural District of the Municipality of
Cajamarca, Department of Tolima, Colombia
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#28 Birds In Landscapes Colombia, 2025 Honorable Mention: Julián Felipe Arbeláez Aristizábal
Species: Torrent Duck
Location: Villamaría, Caldas, Colombia
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#29 Birds In Landscapes Colombia, 2025 Winner:
Species: Blue-headed Parrots
Location: 5th Street, Cali, Colombia
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#30 Birds Without Borders, 2025 Honorable Mention: Leonardo Guzman-Jimenez
Species: Greater Yellowlegs
Location: Chia, Cundinamarca, Colombia
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#31 Birds Without Borders Chile And Colombia, 2025 Winner: Jacobo Giraldo Trejos
Species: Royal Tern
Location: San Andrés Island, San Andrés and Providencia, Colombia
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#32 Bird Without Borders, 2026 Winner: Nick Parayko
Species: Tennessee Warbler
Location of the photo: St. Albert, Alberta, Canada (in his backyard)
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#33 Youth, 2026 Winner: Ian Shultz
Species: Rock Pigeon
Location of the photo: Golden Gardens Park, Seattle, Washington, USA
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#34 Youth, 2026 Honorable Mention: Parham Pourahmad
Species: Red-tailed Hawk
Location of the photo: Cupertino, California, USA
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#35 Grand Prize Chile And Colombia, 2026 Winner: Francisco Castro Escobar
Species: Lesser Horned Owl
Location of the photo: Antofagasta, Chile
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#36 Youth, 2026 Honorable Mention: Camilo Sanabria Grajales
Species: Ruby-topaz Hummingbird
Location of the photo: Guadalajara de Buga, Valle del Cauca / Colombia
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#37 Plants For Birds Colombia, 2026 Winner: Santiago Giraldo
Species: Yellow-eared Parrot and Quindio wax palm
Location of the photo: Anaime, Cajamarca, Tolima
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#38 Female Bird, 2025 Honorable Mention: Taryn M. Ware
Species: Acorn Woodpecker
Location: Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, Julian, California, United States
#39 Grand Prize, 2025 Winner: Liron Gertsman
Species: Magnificent Frigatebirds
Location: Teacapán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#40 Birds Without Borders, 2025 Honorable Mention: Maceo Susi
Species: Sanderlings
Location: Halibut Point State Park, Rockport, Massachusetts
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#41 Female Bird, 2025 Winner: Sean Pursley
Species: Chipping Sparrow
Location: Bogus Basin near Boise, Idaho, United States
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#42 Conservation, 2025 Honorable Mention: Miguel Hechenleitner
Species: Gray Gulls and Kelp Gulls
Location: Ritoque Beach, Quintero, Valparaíso, Chile
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#43 Youth, 2025 Honorable Mention: Camilo Sanabria Grajales
Species: Pied-billed Grebe
Location: Lake Calima, Darien, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#44 Youth Colombia And Chile, 2025 Winner: Camilo Sanabria Grajales
Species: Blackburnian Warbler
Location: Santiago de Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#45 Birds Without Borders, 2026 Honorable Mention: Erich Podbielski
Species: Brown Pelican
Location of the photo: Haystack Rock, Cannon Beach, Oregon, USA
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#46 Birds In Landscapes, Colombia, 2026 Honorable Mention: Cristian Camilo Castaño Vargas
Species: Andean Cock-of-the-rock
Location of the photo: Via al Huila, Sucre rural district, Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia
#47 Birds In Landscapes, 2025 Honorable Mention: Charlie Sandbo
Species: Andean Condor
Location: Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#48 Birds In Landscapes, 2025 Winner: Joe Subolefsky
Species: Northern Gannets
Location: Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#49 Birds Without Borders, 2025 Winner: Yoshiki Nakamura
Species: Snow Geese
Location: Mount Vernon, Washington, United States
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#50 Conservation, 2025 Winner: Jean Hall
Species: Burrowing Owl
Location: Marco Island, Florida, United States
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#51 Conservation, 2026 Honorable Mention: Rodrigo Vega Neira
Species: American Oystercatcher
Location of the photo: Llolleo Beach, Ojos de Mar Wetland, San Antonio, Valparaíso
Region, Chile
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#52 Youth, 2026 Winner: Juan David Camacho Márquez
Species: Canada Warbler
Location of the photo: Doña Dora Birding, El Queremal, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#53 Plants For Birds Colombia, 2026 Honorable Mention: David Paredes Bravo
Species: Golden-rumped Euphonia and Tillandsia recurvata
Location of the photo: Alto del Zarzo, Manizales, Department of Caldas, Colombia
Image source: Audubon Photography Awards
#54 Birds In Landscapes, 2026 Honorable Mention: Jay Vanos
Species: Great Blue Heron
Location of the photo: Caddo Lake Wildlife Management Area, Karnak, Texas, USA
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