
Here are this year’s winners, some wonderful near misses, and the contest’s Top 100. Thanks to our sponsors, and to all who entered.
Details
Participants: More than 2,300
Images entered: Nearly 9,000
Categories: Amateur, Professional, Fine Art, Youth
Entrants from: 50 states, 7 provinces, District of Columbia
Judging Criteria: Technical quality, originality, artistic merit
Judges
Kenn Kaufman: Bird-guide author, Audubon field editor
Joel Sartore: National Geographic and Audubon Photographer
Steve Freligh: Co-publisher of Nature's Best Photography
Kevin Fisher: Audubon creative director
Sabine Meyer: Audubon photography director
And, of course, congratulations to the winners. View the winning photos!
Update, November 17, 2015 — The winners of the 2015 Audubon Photography Awards are currently featured in the Nature’s Best Photography exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. They will be displayed as part of the collection for the next year.
Time Lapse
Over the past century, wildlife photography has become a bridge between art and science, thanks to a few ingenious inventions.
Red-and-green Macaw. Photo: Andrew Zuckerman
Candid Camera
Birds do some spectacular things when they think no one is watching. Check out the craziest bird behaviors submitted.
Royal Tern. Photo: Steve Ando/Audubon Photography Awards
High Altitude Exposure
An artist goes airborne to reveal the beautiful scars we’ve left on the earth.
Brown Pelican rookery. Photo: J. Henry Fair

The Story Behind That Hilarious #WorstBirdPic Meme
NewsJoin the revolution by sharing those blurry, dark, headless bird shots you keep hidden on your hard drive.

American White Pelican
Illustrated AviaryIllustrator Calef Brown drew inspiration from a childhood encounter with the bird.

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Double-crested Cormorant/Amateur Category. Photo: Ben Knoot/Audubon Photography Awards

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Chestnut-breasted Coronet/Amateur Category. Photo: Amy Marques/Audubon Photography Awards

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Elegant Tern/Amateur Category. Photo: Aidan Briggs/Audubon Photography Awards

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Horned Puffin/Professional Category. Photo: Aaron Baggenstos/Audubon Photography Awards

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Booted Racket-tail/Amateur Category. Photo: Amy Marques/Audubon Photography Awards, Professional Category

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Greater Roadrunner/Professional Category. Photo: Hector Astorga/Audubon Photography Awards

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Great Blue Heron/Amateur Category. Photo: Andrea Poland/Audubon Photography Awards

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Booted Racket-tail/Amateur Category. Photo: Amy Marques/Audubon Photography Awards

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Wandering Albatross/Amateur Category. Photo: Bill Klipp/Audubon Photography Awards

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Allen's Hummingbird/Amateur Category. Photo: Barry Schirm/Audubon Photography Awards

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Scarlet-chested Sunbird/Amateur Category. Photo: Anthony Goldman/Audubon Photography Awards

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Cape Petrel/Amateur Category. Photo: Bill Klipp/Audubon Photography Awards

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Domestic Goose/Amateur Category. Photo: Bradley Lewis/Audubon Photography Awards

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Rufous Hummingbird/Amateur Category. Photo: Breanna Wilson/Audubon Photography Awards

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Barred Owl/Amateur Category. Photo: Brenda Stevens/Audubon Photography Awards

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Bald Eagle/Amateur Category. Photo: Brian Kushner/Audubon Photography Awards

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Tricolored Heron and White Ibis/Amateur Category. Photo: Brian Rivera Jr/Audubon Photography Awards

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Atlantic Puffin/Amateur Category. Photo: Bruno Struck/Audubon Photography Awards

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Merlin/Amateur Category. Photo: Carl Woo/Audubon Photography Awards

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Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird/Amateur Category. Photo: Carmen Elia/Audubon Photography Awards

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European Bee-eater/Amateur Category. Photo: Mike Anderson/Audubon Photography Awards

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Peregrine Falcon/Amateur Category. Photo: Carl Woo/Audubon Photography Awards

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Snowy Egret/Amateur Category. Photo: Charles Waitwait/Audubon Photography Awards

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Barred Owl/Amateur Category. Photo: Chokchai Leangsuksun/Audubon Photography Awards

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American Flamingo/Amateur Category. Photo: Chris Heisey/Audubon Photography Awards

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Black-legged Kittiwake/Amateur Category. Photo: Claudio Bacinello/Audubon Photography Awards

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Great Egret/Amateur Category. Photo: Bruno Struck/Audubon Photography Awards

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Northern Gannet/Amateur Category. Photo: Claudio Bacinello/Audubon Photography Awards

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Red-winged Blackbird and Northern Mockingbird/Amateur Category. Photo: Darrell Crisp/Audubon Photography Awards

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Great Black-backed Gull/Amateur Category. Photo: David Policansky/Audubon Photography Awards

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Common Loon/Amateur Category. Photo: Darren Smith/Audubon Photography Awards

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Elegant Tern/Amateur Category. Photo: David Salem/Audubon Photography Awards

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Northern Harrier and American Coot/Amateur Category. Photo: David Salem/Audubon Photography Awards

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American Kestrel/Amateur Category. Photo: David Salem/Audubon Photography Awards

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Purple Gallinule/Amateur Category. Photo: Dennis Derby/Audubon Photography Awards

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Forster's Tern/Amateur Category. Photo: Diana Rebman/Audubon Photography Awards

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Scott's Oriole/Amateur Category. Photo: Donald Wuori/Audubon Photography Awards

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Roseate Spoonbill/Amateur Category. Photo: Gail Bisson/Audubon Photography Awards

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Golden Eagle/Professional Category. Photo: Don Jackson/Audubon Photography Awards

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Double-crested Cormorant/Professional Category. Photo: Don Jackson/Audubon Photography Awards

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Golden-fronted Woodpecker/Amateur Category. Photo: Doug Kliewera/Audubon Photography Awards

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Least Tern/Amateur Category. Photo: Doug German/Audubon Photography Awards

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Wreathed Hornbill/Fine Art Category. Photo: Eugene Campbell/Audubon Photography Awards

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King Eider/Amateur Category. Photo: Gail Bisson/Audubon Photography Awards

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Macaroni Penguin/Amateur Category. Photo: Evan Siegel/Audubon Photography Awards

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Snowy Owl/Professional Category. Photo: Francois Portmann//Audubon Photography Awards

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Elegant Tern/Amateur Category. Photo: Gail West/Audubon Photography Awards

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Anhinga/Amateur Category. Photo: Gary Baird/Audubon Photography Awards

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Gyrfalcon and Rock Pigeon/Amateur Category. Photo: Harry Colquhoun/Audubon Photography Awards

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Elegant Tern/Amateur Category. Photo: Geralyn Souza/Audubon Photography Awards

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Green Heron and Red-winged Blackbird/Amateur Category. Photo: Jeffrey Holmes/Audubon Photography Awards

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Northern Cardinal/Professional Category. Photo: Hector Astorga/Audubon Photography Awards

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Brandt's Cormorant/Amateur Category. Photo: Jack Sassard/Audubon Photography Awards

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Sharp-tailed Grouse/Amateur Category. Photo: J. Arthur Anderson/Audubon Photography Awards

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Barn Owl/Fine Art Category. Photo: Jennifer Maharry/Audubon Photography Awards

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Black Vulture/Amateur Category. Photo: Jim Akers/Audubon Photography Awards

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Shoebill/Amateur Category. Photo: John Rollins/Audubon Photography Awards

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Herring Gull/Amateur Category. Photo: Jon D'alessio/Audubon Photography Awards

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Common Tern/Amateur Category. Photo: Joseph Samela/Audubon Photography Awards

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Pyrrhuloxia/Amateur Category. Photo: Joseph Messina/Audubon Photography Awards

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American Coot/Amateur Category. Photo: Joyce Stefancic/Audubon Photography Awards

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Pigeon Guillemot/Professional Category. Photo: Ken Archer/Audubon Photography Awards

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White-breasted Nuthatch/Amateur Category. Photo: Kenneth Heiar/Audubon Photography Awards

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Crimson-fronted Parakeet/Amateur Category. Photo: Kevin Malo/Audubon Photography Awards

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Wood Stork/Professional Category. Photo: Judd Patterson/Audubon Photography Awards

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Magnificent Frigatebird/Professional Category. Photo: Keith Ellenbogen/Audubon Photography Awards

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Pileated Woodpecker/Amateur Category. Photo: Linda Cullivan/Audubon Photography Awards

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Pelagic Cormorant/Youth Category. Photo: Liron Gertsman/Audubon Photography Awards

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Surf Scoter/Youth Category. Photo: Liron Gertsman/Audubon Photography Awards

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Rufous-tailed Hummingbird/Amateur Category. Photo: Lynn Lucas/Audubon Photography Awards

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Snowy Owl/Amateur Category. Photo: Loi Nguyen/Audubon Photography Awards

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American Avocet/Professional Category. Photo: Melissa Groo/Audubon Photography Awards

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Great Gray Owl/Professional Category. Photo: Melissa Groo/Audubon Photography Awards

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Northern Mockingbird/Youth Category. Photo: Miles Goldenberg/Audubon Photography Awards