Audubon's Bird Photography Award Winners - Birding Wire

A female Common Merganser was carrying a fish while maintaining its graceful flight above icy-cold water. This impressive photograph won the Female Bird Prize, which was appropriately taken by another female, Gail Bisson, in Nova Scotia, Canada.

The National Audubon Society has announced the winners of the 2026 Audubon Bird Photography Awards that celebrate the beauty and variety of birds from north to south. In addition to awarding photograph from the United States and Canada, for the second year of this 17-year contest, the judges awarded prizes to residents of Colombia and Chile to highlight how birds connect people across geographies and ecosystems in the Western Hemisphere. Overall, these images of birds are spectacular and inspiring!

Birds and photography gel together seamlessly as one of the most rewarding aspects of birding for many people, and viewing exciting photographs of birds adds to our appreciation of the nature of our planet. Enjoy seeing and learning more about the birds photographed by the winners of Audubon's annual photo awards, as you view the winning images of stunning moments with birds across the Americas – presented by Audubon magazine at Audubon Photography Awards and Audubon Announces 2026 Audubon Photography Awards Winners | Audubon

A selection of some of the winning photographs, positioned clockwise from the top left include a Canada Warbler by Juan David Camacho Marquez; Lesser Horned Owl by Francisco Castro Escobar; Roseate Spoonbill by Jacqueline Burke; Yellow-eared Parrots by Santiago Giraldo; Gentoo Penguin by Gonzalo Bertolotto Quintana; and Black-browed Albatross by Rodrigo Gonzalez Pairoa.

Audubon's Honored Bird Photos: In addition to the winners in each of the categories, the Honorable Mention bird photographs from the 2026 Audubon Photography Awards are presented too. You can review the selected bird photos at The 2026 Audubon Photography Awards: Honorable Mentions | Audubon