Nature Science

10 MOST BEAUTIFUL BIRD PHOTOS - AUDUBON AWARDS

Bright yellow bird perches on lavender flower. Audubon Photography Award Winner (American Goldfinch).

Image: by Tom Warren. “American Goldfinch.” Audubon Photography Award Winner. Courtesy of National Audubon Society.

AUDUBON PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS

The National Audubon Society has been all about the beauty of birds for over 100 years. It leads the world in promoting awareness and working to protect bird habitats and bird life in general.

Image by Sunil Gopalan Ruffs Audubon Photography Awards Courtesy of National Audubon Society

Check out Winners, Finalists, and Honorable Mentions of the annual Audubon Photography Awards -- some of the most beautiful bird photos in the world right now.

Two yellow birds feeding in tree. Audubon Photography Award Winner (Prothonotary Warbler).

More than 1,700 people, from across the US and Canada, entered more than 7,000 images.

Vibrant green and blue bird shows its magnificent feathers. Audubon Photography Award Winner (Green Violetear).

Judges for this competition included Kenn Kaufman, author, Kaufman Field Guides; conservation photographer and 2015 Audubon Grand Prize Winner Melissa Groo; Steve Freligh, co-publisher of Nature's Best Photography; Audubon Creative Director Kevin Fisher; and Audubon Photography Director Sabine Meyer.

Great bald eagle spreads its wings next to blue heron on beach. Audubon Photography Award Winner. (Bald Eagle and Great Blue Herons).

Grand Prize Winner Bonnie Block’s photo of a Bald Eagle with Great Blue Herons immerses us into the dynamic beauty of the birds’ world. But Block had some tough competition. The winners, finalists, and honorable mentions recipient images will be displayed at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History later this year.

Little bird walks along leaves of beautiful yellow flower. Audubon Photography Award Winner. (Rare White Hummingbird).

To see more top entries, with more information about photos and photographers, visit Audubon's website.

Beautiful owl with large green eye is camouflaged with tree. Audubon Photography Award Winner. (Eastern Screech-Owl).

And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact Daily Fix posts.

Bird is about to eat an insect, as both are clearly reflected in water. Audubon Photography Award Winner (Black-winged Stilt).

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Beautiful mother bird and baby bird sitting in sand. Audubon Photography Award Winner.

IMAGE CREDITS:

Image: by Tom Warren. “American Goldfinch.” Audubon Photography Award Winner. Courtesy of National Audubon Society.
Image: by Sunil Gopalan. “Ruffs.” Audubon Photography Award Winner. Courtesy of National Audubon Society.
Image: by Donald Wuori. “Prothonotary Warbler.” Audubon Photography Award Winner. Courtesy of National Audubon Society.
Image: by Barbara Driscoll. “Green Violetear.” Audubon Photography Award Winner. Courtesy of National Audubon Society.
Image: by Bonnie Block. “Bald Eagle and Great Blue Herons.” Audubon Photography Award Winner. Courtesy of National Audubon Society.
Photo: Brad R. Lewis. “Rare White Hummingbird.” Audubon Photography Award Winner. Courtesy of National Audubon Society.
Image: by William Kleinfelder. “Eastern Screech-Owl.” Audubon Photography Award Winner. Courtesy of National Audubon Society.
Image: by Artur Stankiewicz. “Black-winged Stilt.” Audubon Photography Award Winner. Courtesy of National Audubon Society.
Image: by BN App - Download now!
Image: by Jim Verhagen. Audubon Photography Award Winner. Courtesy of National Audubon Society.