These award-winning bird photos from Chile to Colombia, Canada and the US show nature at its most beautiful and vulnerable

A glossy dark bird flies through a pale blue sky, carrying twigs, grass, and plant fibers in its beak to build a nest — Plants for Birds - honorable mention, Brandt's Cormorant in the US (Image credit: Kevin Lohman)

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2026 Audubon Photography Awards

Birds are among the most popular subjects in wildlife photography and powerful indicators of the planet's health. Now, the National Audubon Society announced the winners of the 2026 Audubon Photography Awards, honoring photographers who used their skills to highlight the beauty, challenges, and threats birds face across Chile, Colombia, Canada, and the United States.

Across categories including Birds in Landscapes and Conservation, emerging photography talent also had the opportunity to gain recognition through dedicated Youth categories. The featured species ranged from Roseate Spoonbills, whose populations were severely threatened by plumage hunting in the 18th and 19th centuries, to a Gentoo Penguin swimming just beneath the water's surface near Chilean bases.

For more than 120 years, the National Audubon Society has used science, conservation and community action to protect birds and the places they need to survive and thrive. Visit the website for information about initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean and Audubon’s Plants for Birds program. Explore all 2026 winning images here.

2026 Audubon Photography Awards

Winners and Honorable Mentions – Highlights

Roseate spoonbill splashing and spreading wings over dark water, with droplets frozen in mid-air — Roseate Spoonbill in the US (Image credit: Jacqueline Burke)

Grand Prize: Jacqueline Burke
Species: Roseate Spoonbill
Location of the photo: St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park, St. Augustine, Florida, USA

Two green and yellow parrots interacting near a hole in a mossy tree trunk against a blurred green background — Yellow-eared Parrot and Quindio wax palm in Chile (Image credit: Santiago Giraldo)

Plants for Birds Colombia - Winner: Santiago Giraldo
Species: Yellow-eared Parrot and Quindio wax palm
Location of the photo: Anaime, Cajamarca, Tolima

Oystercatcher bird with black and white feathers and orange beak standing on sandy beach among rocks and debris — American Oystercatcher in Chile (Image credit: Rodrigo Vega Neira)

Conservation - Honorable Mention: Rodrigo Vega Neira
Species: American Oystercatcher
Location of the photo: Llolleo Beach, Ojos de Mar Wetland, San Antonio, Valparaíso Region, Chile

Top-down view of a penguin swimming just below the water surface, creating ripples and bubbles in deep blue water — Gentoo Penguin in Antarctica (Image credit: Gonzalo Bertolotto Quintana)

Coastal Birds of Chile - Winner: Gonzalo Bertolotto Quintana
Species: Gentoo Penguin
Location of the photo: Fildes Bay, Antarctica, in the vicinity of the Chilean bases

Small bird perched upside down on green leafy branch against blurred natural background — Tennessee Warbler in Canada (Image credit: Nick Parayko)

Birds Without Borders – Winner: Nick Parayko
Species: Tennessee Warbler
Location of the photo: St. Albert, Alberta, Canada (in his backyard)

Close-up of a hawk holding a captured rodent with sharp talons on a mossy tree branch against a green background — Red-tailed Hawk in the US (Image credit: Parham Pourahmad)

Youth - Honorable mention: Parham Pourahmad
Species: Red-tailed Hawk
Location of the photo: Cupertino, California, USA

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Kim is a photographer, editor and writer with work published internationally. She holds a Master's degree in Photography and Media and was formerly Technique Editor at Digital Photographer, focusing on the art and science of photography. Kim covers everything from breaking industry news and camera gear to the stories shaping photography today. Blending technical expertise with visual insight, she explores photography's time-honored yet ever-evolving role in culture.