At first glance, it’s simply a charming shot of a bird. A young American oystercatcher, to be precise, still fluffy and scruffy around the edges, standing on a patch of dark sand, its orange bill glowing in the low sun. But spend a few more moments taking everything in, and you'll discover a different story.
The bird is surrounded by dried palm fronds and rocks, with a length of bright green fishing net snaking across the sand. And that tells you everything you need to know about the challenges facing conservationists today.
The scene was captured at Llolleo Beach, in the Ojos de Mar Wetland, San Antonio, in Chile’s Valparaíso Region, where the photographer, Rodrigo Vega Neira, is based. It's now won him an Honorable Mention in the Conservation category of the 2026 Audubon Photography Awards.
The shot benefits from the soft, warm light, which picks out the speckled feathers on the bird’s back and makes its brightly colored bill stand out against the muted browns and greys. The shallow depth of field enables the rocks in the foreground and background to melt into a soft blur, which helps draw the eye straight towards our feathered friend.
Yet enough of the surroundings remain visible, including the green net, for the conservation message to come through loud and clear. “Many of the birds found in Chile, Colombia, Canada, and the United States are at risk from threats such as habitat loss and climate change,” says Audubon magazine.
Reflecting the challenges
The Audubon Photography Awards, run by the National Audubon Society, are now in their 17th year. Until recently, they were just for photographers from the US and Canada, but since last year there have been prizes for photographers in Chile and Colombia as well.
The Conservation Prize recognizes images that show “conservation challenges that birds face or how addressing those challenges can help them thrive”. Vega Neira’s photo does this subtly, but effectively. There’s no dramatic disaster here, just a young bird trying to make its way in a world shared with people and their carelessly abandoned garbage.
The main Conservation Prize for Chile and Colombia went to Santiago Pérez Rincón for his picture of a yellow-eared parrot, while the overall Grand Prize winners were Francisco Castro Escobar for his lesser horned owl, in the Chile and Colombia contest, and Jacqueline Burke for her roseate spoonbill, in the US and Canada contest.
The 2027 awards open for entries on January 13 2027. You can see the full selection of winners and honourable mentions on the Audubon website.
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