Blackburnian Warbler by Mathew Malwitz/Audubon Photography Awards/2024 Grand Prize Winner
Location: Promised Land State Park, Pennsylvania, USA
“Two Blackburnian Warblers face each other in profile; their gray and white wings outstretched behind them. Their yellow heads and orange necks stand out against a blurred gray background, and their bills and feet are entangled.”
Now in its 15th year, the Audubon Photography Awards is celebrating the magic of bird photography. Run by the National Audubon Society, the competition is open to professional and amateur photographers of all ages. This year, Mathew Malwitz came away with the top prize for his delightful portrait of two Blackburnian warblers facing each other in a wonderful symmetrical pose.
Last year’s grand prize winner, Liron Gertsman, was once again celebrated this year. His interesting photo of a flock of willow ptarmigans in flight, with their white feathers melting into the white sky, won the professional category. These winning entries were chosen from more than 2,300 entrants from all 50 U.S. states, nine Canadian provinces, and one territory.
The photo contest has also expanded its scope, adding the Birds in Landscapes Prize for the first time. Designed to draw attention to how birds connect with their broader surroundings, the inaugural prize was handed out to Kevin Lohman for an atmospheric photo of a California quail perched on a small bush in a field.
Sadly, birds like the California quail and the Blackburnian warbler are facing increasing obstacles to their survival. The National Audubon Society’s climate science report, Survival by Degrees, states that two-thirds of North American birds are facing extinction due to climate change. A special climate change visualizer even lets you see how the birds in your area will be impacted.
By taking in these photos and learning more about what the future holds, there’s even more motivation to make the necessary changes on a small and large scale to delay the effects of climate change.
Here are the winners of the 2024 Audubon Photography Awards, which celebrates exceptional bird photography.
Forster’s Tern by Kevin Lohman/Audubon Photography Awards/2024 Professional Honorable Mention
Location: Shoreline Lake, Mountain View, California, USA
“A Forster’s Tern is in the air, its head turned almost 180 degrees so that its bill is pointing almost straight up, and its tail is twisted. The bird’s outstretched wings give the impression the bird is floating upside down. Water droplets appear in a stream from the bird’s bill and also below it.”
Willow Ptarmigan by Liron Gertsman/Audubon Photography Awards/2024 Professional Winner
Location: Kluane National Park, Yukon, Canada
“Seven Willow Ptarmigan are staggered throughout the image. Each is in various stages of flight. Their white bodies blend in with the completely white background; only their black eyes, bills, and tail feathers stand out.”
Barred Owl by Erin Boisvert/Audubon Photography Awards/2024 Amateur Honorable Mention
Location: Deep Brook Preserve. Newtown, CT, USA
“A Barred Owl hangs upside down from a thin tree branch, its body horizontal, its face turned and looking at the camera. Above it hangs a squirrel on a branch. Its head is nearly completely severed and is held in the owl’s talons. Its fur is bloodied.”
Red-necked Grebe by Edwin Liu/Audubon Photography Awards/2024 Youth Honorable Mention
Location: Colonel Samuel Smith Park, Etobicoke, ON, Canada
“Two adult Red-necked Grebes face each other in the water. The entire grebe’s body on the right is visible, and two black and white-headed chicks sit on its back. One is leaning to receive a small fish from the bill of the parent.”
Sedge Wren and Gray-head Coneflower by Trisha Snider/Audubon Photography Awards/2024 Plants For Birds Honorable Mention
Location: John E Pearce Provincial Park, Wallacetown, Ontario, Canada
“A tiny russet brown Sedge Wren grasps two long, parallel stems as if they were stilts. The bird’s head looks to the left of the frame. Green grasses surround the bird, and yellow flowers are at the bottom of the image.”
American Kestrel by Parham Pourahmad/Audubon Photography Awards/2024 Youth Winner
Location: Calero County Park, San Jose, California, USA
“An American Kestrel stands on a post in profile, and a male kestrel is on her back with his wings stretched behind him. The birds are both in profile facing the left of the frame, the male above appearing to be an extension of the female below.”
Black-capped Chickadee and Broad-leaf Cattail by Linda Scher/Audubon Photography Awards/2024 Plants For Birds Winner
Location: Wood Lake Nature Center, Richfield, Minnesota, USA
“A Black-capped Chickadee clings to a single beige hook-shaped stem filled with seeds. The bird’s black legs appear to be spread at a 90-degree angle to hold the stem. The bird’s black bill is full of seeds.”
Wild Turkey by Travis Potter/Audubon Photography Awards/2024 Female Bird Prize Winner
Location: Roseville, Minnesota, USA
“A female Wild Turkey stands in profile, and her head is held high and wings are fanned out behind her. She stands between railroad tracks littered with leaves that extend into the distance.”
Common Gallinule by Douglas DeFelice/Audubon Photography Awards/2024 Fisher Prize Winner
Location: Tarpon Springs, FL
“A Common Gallinule’s green feet stick straight out of the surface of water, while its body is submerged and not visible. Splashes of water are outlined in gold against a black background and dark surface, making it difficult to distinguish between the feet and water.”
California Quail by Kevin Lohman/Audubon Photography Awards/2024 Birds in Landscapes Prize Winner
Location: Santa Cruz, California, USA
“A California Quail perches on top of a small bush in a field. One row of bushes and trees in the foreground is in focus, along with the quail, while other bushes are out of focus or blurred. The scene is a muted brown and orange, with layers of light and dark.”
Great-tailed Grackle by Tristan Vratil/Audubon Photography Awards/2024 Amateur Winner
Location: Corner of Slaughter Lane and Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas, USA
“Silhouetted grackles perch on power lines that bisect the image, with their tails nearly all pointing in the same direction. The sky is purple and pink. Through the whole of the photo are blurry figures of grackles flying through the air.”