Red-necked Grebe, Youth Honorable Mention - Etobicoke Park, ON, Canada.
The National Audubon Society has announced the winners of its 2024 Photography Awards, which, among other amazing images, include photos of birds threatened with extinction.
Now in its 15th year, the contest features stunning work from professionals, amateurs and young people that highlights the beauty of birds and the joy of capturing it through photographs and videos.
Winning entries and honorable mentions were chosen from more than 2,300 entrants from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., nine Canadian provinces and one territory. For the first time, the competition awarded the Birds in Landscapes Prize, which was introduced to draw attention to how birds connect with their broader surroundings.
The Grand Prize of $5,000 was awarded to photographer Mathew Malwitz for his shot of a battle between two Blackburnian Warblers, which is one of the endangered species.
Whether the setting is wild, urban or suburban, or the relationship is symbiotic or reflects a specific challenge birds face, the prize encourages photographers to take a step back, consider the environment as a whole, then let their photographs tell the story.
Audubon’s report, Survival by Degrees, reveals that two-thirds of North American birds are threatened with extinction from climate change, including species featured in this year’s Audubon Photography Awards such as the California Quail and Sedge Wren, in addition to the Blackburnian Warbler.
The next contest begins October 24 and ends February 28, 2025.
All the winners and honorable mentions can be seen here.
Blackburnian Warbler, Grand Prize Winner
Taken in Promised Land State Park, Pennsylvania, two Blackburnian Warblers face each other, 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.
Willow Ptarmigan birds, Professional Winner. Kluane National Park, Yukon, Canada
Seven Willow Ptarmigan race through the image, each in a different stage of flight. Their white bodies blend in with the completely white background, while only their black eyes, bills and tail feathers stand out.
Forster’s Tern, Professional Honorable Mention, Shoreline Lake, Mountain View, California
A Forster’s Tern is captured in the air, its head turned almost 180 degrees so that its bill is pointing nearly straight up, its tail 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.
Great-tailed Grackle, Amateur Winner, Corner of Slaughter Lane and Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas
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. Throughout the photo, blurry grackles fly through the air.
Barred Owl, Amateur Honorable Mention, Deep Brook Preserve. Newtown, Connecticut
A Barred Owl hangs upside down from a thin tree branch, its body horizontal, its face turned and looking at the camera. A squirrel hangs on a branch above it — its fur bloody and its head nearly severed and held in the owl’s talons.
Black-capped Chickadee and Broad-leaf Cattail, Plants For Birds Winner, Wood Lake Nature Center, ... [+]
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.
Sedge Wren and Gray-head Coneflower, Plants For Birds Honorable Mention, John E Pearce Provincial ... [+]
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 line the lower image.
American Kestrel, Youth Winner, Calero County Park, San Jose, California
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.
Wild Turkey, Female Bird Prize Winner, Roseville, Minnesota
A female Wild Turkey stands in profile, her head held high and wings fanned out behind her. She stands between railroad tracks littered with leaves that extend into the distance.
California Quai, Birds in Landscapes Prize Winner, Santa Cruz, California
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.
Common Gallinule, Fisher Prize Winner, Tarpon Springs, Florida
A Common Gallinule’s green feet stick straight out of the water while its body is submerged and not visible. Splashes of water are outlined in gold against a black background and dark surface.
