2026 Audubon Photography Awards Highlight Rare Birds, Human Impact

(MENAFN- USA Art News) The 2026 Audubon Photography Awards have recognized striking images that often required significant expeditions, multiple attempts, or pure chance to capture, highlighting the diversity of avian life and the impact of human activity.

Among the top honorees is Francisco Castro Escobar, who received the grand prize for the Chile/Colombia contest. Escobar unexpectedly encountered a rare lesser horned owl, known as“the ghost of the desert,” on a cactus in northern Chile during a morning hike. Escobar noted that the owl, Chile's largest, earned its nickname because“seeing one is so rare that it's like an apparition.”

For photographers in the U.S. and Canada, the grand prize was awarded to Jacqueline Burke. Her winning photograph captures a roseate spoonbill bathing, illuminated against a shaded cove in Florida.

The competition includes parallel opportunities for photographers in the U.S. and Canada and for those based in Chile and Colombia. Additional prize categories include Birds Without Borders, Plants for Birds, Youth, and Conservation.

The winning images showcase various avian behaviors, from hunting raptors to nectar-feeding woodpeckers. They also reveal how human actions can endanger birds, as seen in Josh Galicki's Conservation category-winning photo of northern gannets nesting with discarded fishing nets on a Shetland cliff face, a material that poses a continuous threat to the birds' safety.

Other recognized photographers include:

Rodrigo González Pairoa, winner of the Birds Without Borders category, for a black-browed albatross in Almirantazgo Fjord, Chile. Mike Henry, winner of the Plants for Birds, U.S. and Canada category, for a Gila woodpecker and saguaro cactus in Tucson, Arizona. Juan David Camacho Márquez, winner of the Youth category for Chile and Colombia, for a Canada warbler in El Queremal, Colombia. Timothy Dhalleine, winner of the Birds in Landscapes, Chile category, for a crested caracara in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. Santiago Giraldo, winner of the Plants for Birds Colombia category, for a yellow-eared parrot and Quindio wax palm in Anaime, Colombia. Camilo Sanabria Grajale, honorable mention in the Youth category for Chile and Colombia, for a ruby-topaz hummingbird in Guadalajara de Buga, Colombia. David Paredes Bravo, honorable mention in the Plants for Birds, Colombia category, for a golden-rumped euphonia and Tillandsia recurvata in Manizales, Colombia. Kevin Lohman, honorable mention in the Plants for Birds, U.S. and Canada category, for a Brandt's cormorant and surfgrass in Santa Cruz, California.

Audubon emphasized the dedication involved in creating these photographs, stating:“Hours, days, or sometimes even years of patience and effort go into creating a scenario in which a photographer is in the right place, at the right time, to capture a fleeting moment.”

We previously reported:

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition has selected 100 images for its shortlist from over 65,000 global entries.

Source: This Is Colossal

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