The Art of Seeing Birds: Audubon Announces Best Bird Photos of 2026
One of the things we love most about Audubon magazine is its exceptional photography. If you need a little inspiration to improve your photo skills, take a look at the recently announced winners of the 2026 Audubon Photography Awards. Audubon just unveiled this year's winners, showcasing remarkable images of everything from a Roseate Spoonbill and Tennessee Warbler to a White-tailed Tropicbird. And it's not just about taking a pretty picture—the best images capture fascinating bird behavior, the habitats birds depend on, and conservation challenges facing them across the Western Hemisphere.
Now in its 17th year, the competition has become one of the world's most respected showcases of bird photography, with judges selecting the winners from thousands of anonymous submissions. Audubon publishes the winners and honorable mentions in Audubon magazine and online, and this year's Grand Prize winners each received $5,000 plus an expedition to Antarctica.
The competition is serious, but it's also accessible, with categories ranging from Youth and Birds in Landscapes to Female Birds and Birds Without Borders. Besides the winners, Audubon also published the Honorable Mentions. You might even find this collection to be more compelling, showing the depth and range of submissions.
Browse the winning photographs and you'll notice that great bird photography is about noticing behavior, finding good light, thinking about composition—and having the patience to wait for something interesting to happen. You don't have to win an Audubon award; just trying to take a better bird photograph can make you slow down, look more carefully, and ultimately become a better observer of birds.
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