Audubon announces 2019 photo contest winners

Today, the National Audubon Society named six photographers as winners in the 2019 Audubon Photography Awards, across four divisions and six prizes. In the 10th year of the contest, winning photos and honorable mentions were selected from 2,253 entrants from all 50 states, Washington D.C., and 10 Canadian provinces and territories to appreciate the wonder of birds and the places they inhabit.

This year, judges introduced the Plants for Birds Prize and the Fisher Prize. The Plants for Birds Prize was awarded to the highest scoring photograph submitted in the Plants for Birds Division, featuring birds and plants native to the area the photo was taken. The Fisher Prize was awarded to the photograph depicting the most creative approach to bird photography across all divisions: Professional, Amateur, Youth and Plants for Birds.

Presented in association with Nature’s Best Photography, winning photos and honorable mentions will be featured at the biennial Audubon Convention in July in Milwaukee, in future issues of Audubon magazine and Nature’s Best Photography magazine, and in a special traveling Audubon Photography Awards exhibit hosted by Audubon chapters and centers across the country.

Many of the distinguished photographs portray striking bird species protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA), one of Audubon’s founding conservation victories and one of the most important bird conservation laws, that has protected countless birds since 1918. This pivotal wildlife protection law is under attack by the current administration through a new legal interpretation that ends the ability to hold industries accountable for bird deaths.

The new Plants for Birds Division highlights the importance of native plants that provide natural green spaces for birds and the insects they feed on. Audubon’s Plants for Birds program, supported by Coleman and Susan Burke, helps participants find bird-friendly plants native to their area that will attract and protect birds as well as make outdoor spaces better for the environment in the face of a warming climate.

Please enjoy this slideshow of the six winners and four honorable mention photos!