These 20 Breathtaking Bird Images From the Audubon Photography Awards Capture the Wonder of the Winged World

From a seabird flying above an erupting volcano to a woodpecker with its face plunged into a flower, the winners of the 17th Audubon Photography Awards celebrate birds, the places they go and the incredible ways that they survive. Today, the National Audubon Society shared the winners and honorable mentions of its annual contest, which recognizes photos and videos of bird behavior. For its first 15 years, the competition was only open to residents of the United States and Canada.

Last year, the nonprofit added a parallel competition for photographers in Chile and Colombia—two countries that “host some of the world’s most astounding avian biodiversity,” wrote the editors of Audubon magazine last year. Incorporating parts of South America into the competition highlights “how birds connect people across geographies and ecosystems,” according to a statement from the National Audubon Society. Separate panels of judges assessed the entries for each of the two regions.

The winning photo, captured by photographer Jacqueline Burke, features a roseate spoonbill bathing. It’s “an unusual take on a popular species,” Karren adds, as the birds are often imaged while foraging. In the Chile and Colombia contest, the grand prize winner also captures a spectacular bird: a lesser horned owl.

Beyond the grand prizes, the judges picked winners across wide-ranging categories that honor not just birds but many aspects of their ecology. The “birds without borders” category shows the far-flung places that host migratory species, while “plants for birds” highlights the importance of their habitats. One prize even recognizes female birds, which tend to be overlooked in wildlife photography and science alike.

The following 20 photos are this year’s category winners, along with a few honorable mentions. Audubon will share the top 100 images from the contest on September 23. Until then, take a look at the biodiversity and beauty captured in these commended photographs.

Carlyn Kranking is Smithsonian magazine's associate web editor for science.