The 2026 Audubon Photography Awards celebrate bird photography at its most patient, precise, and visually striking. This year's winning images span two parallel competitions: one for photographers in the United States and Canada, and another for entrants in Chile and Colombia.
In the Chile/Colombia contest, Francisco Castro Escobar earned the grand prize after capturing a rare lesser horned owl perched on a cactus in northern Chile during a dawn hike. In the North American competition, Jacqueline Burke won the top honor with a vivid image of a roseate spoonbill bathing in Florida, framed by deep shadows and reflected light.
The awards also recognized a wide range of categories, including Birds Without Borders, Plants for Birds, Youth, and Conservation. Among the standout scenes were black-browed albatrosses in Chile, northern gannets in Shetland, a Gila woodpecker at a saguaro cactus in Arizona, and a yellow-eared parrot paired with the Quindio wax palm in Colombia.
Beyond their visual appeal, the winning photographs highlight bird behavior, habitat relationships, and the quiet complexity of avian life across continents. The collection reflects both artistic timing and ecological awareness, showing how photography can reveal biodiversity with clarity and elegance.
As bird-focused storytelling grows, projects like this may help shape a more connected future for nature, art, and conservation.
