An impressive action photo of a Dunlin reacting to a wave crashing on coastal rocks in New Jersey was taken by the Youth Award winner, Kieran Barlow. The Female Bird Prize winner is Sandra Rothenberg, an amateur who photographed a female Baltimore Oriole surrounded by lacy nesting material it gathered just before launching into flight in rural Pennsylvania.

The National Audubon Society has announced the winners of the 2023 Audubon Photography Awards: Celebrating its 14th year, this impressive bird photography contest features stunning photographs taken by amateurs, professionals, and young people that highlights the beauty of birds and the joy of documenting them through photographs and videos. Judges awarded 8 prizes with winning entries and honorable mention photos selected from among the approximate 9,000 photos entered by 2,200 entrants from all 50 states and 8 Canadian provinces and territories, making it the premiere North American bird photography competition.

In addition to the Amateur, Youth, and Professional catagories, for the third year Audubon awarded the Female Bird Prize and the Video Prize. The Female Bird Prize showcases the beauty of female birds, which are often overlooked and underappreciated in birding, bird photography, and science; and the Video Prize celebrates the dynamic movement and unique behaviors of birds interacting with their habitats – and this year’s winner features an impressive aerial ballet (or is a an aggressive display) between 2 Short-eared Owls. The long-standing Fisher Prize recognizes the most creative approach in photographing birds, combined with technical expertise and an original composition.

Award winners and honorable mentions will be featured in the Summer 2023 issue of Audubon magazine. All photos and videos were judged based on technical quality, originality, and artistic merit, while adhering to Audubon’s Guide to Ethical Bird Photography and Videography. Congratulations to all the birders who submitted their photographs this year, and especially to the winners:

The Amateur Award winner is Karen Blackwood, who won with her photo of a Chinstrap Penguin diving into Antarctic water from an iceberg.

The Youth Award Winner is Kieran Barlow, who took an impressive action photo of a Dunlin reacting to a wave crashing on the rocks where it was standing on the coast of New Jersey.

The Professional Award winner is Shane Kalyn, who won with his photo of a lone Atlantic Puffin perched on a lava cliff covered with lichens and blooming wild flowers on the coast of an Icelandic isle.

The Female Bird Prize winner is Sandra Rothenberg, also an amateur, who photographed a female Baltimore Oriole during a brief stop before launching into flight surrounded by lacy nesting material it gathered in rural Pennsylvania.

The Video Award winner is Steven Chu, who recorded a brilliant video in New York that shows an impressive aerial ballet, although the display is probably an aggressive action between 2 Short-eared Owls as they clasp talons and swirl in circles toward the ground.

The Plants for Birds Award Winner is Linda Scher, an amateur who photographed a tiny Verdin as it perched momentarily on a cholla cactus before taking flight with a caterpillar in its beak in Arizona.

The Fisher Prize winner is Sunil Gopalan, who took a moody Brown Pelican image as the large swimming bird interacted with a shark below the surface, which at first view looks like a reflection in the water. The Fisher Prize recognizes the most creative approach to photographing birds, combined with technical expertise in an original composition.

Winners receive prizes averaging $2,500, with the exception of the Youth Award winner, who wins a trip to Audubon’s Hog Island Audubon Camp for teens for 6 days. We certainly congratulate all the winners of this year’s Audubon Bird Photography Awards. Honorable Mention winners were also announced, and you can review all the winning photographs and the interesting stories and tech information behind the images at The 2023 Audubon Photography Awards: Winners and Honorable Mentions | Audubon