Anna's Hummingbird. Matthew Olson/Audubon Photography Awards

The Joy of Birds

Birds bring us happiness in so many ways—especially in uncertain times. Whether you're just looking for a lift or in desperate need of distraction, look no further than this birdy care package, from Audubon to you. 

Two pigeons face left in profile, each with one orange eye in view against a black background. One bird is preening the other, its bill buried in gray, green, and purple iridescent feathers.
Photography

The 2023 Audubon Photography Awards: Winners and Honorable Mentions

We pored through thousands of entries for this year’s contest. The best images show birds going about their business in the most glorious ways.

Enjoy More Fantastic Bird Photos

Audubon Photography Awards

The 2023 Audubon Photography Awards: The Top 100

Revel in the staggering beauty and surprising behaviors featured in this gallery of our favorite images. Also check out the story behind each shot.
A tawny female North Cardinal faces the camera, head cocked, while taking a bath, its red wings extended upward as droplets of water surround the bird and fill the frame. The water below reflects the bird’s body and the droplets.
Audubon Photography Awards

Our Favorite Female Bird Shots From the 2023 Audubon Photography Awards

Marvel at the beauty and ingenuity of 14 birds that often get overlooked.
A Cactus Wren perches atop a broken branch, holding a large, messy mass of downy feathers in its beak, with the feathers covering up the front of its face. The wren is a medium-sized songbird, mostly brown with darker stripes and spots and with a big white eyebrow.
Audubon Photography Awards

Our Favorite Fascinating Bird Behaviors from the 2022 Audubon Photo Awards

Every year the contest attracts entries capturing rare and unusual moments in the avian world. Check out these 11 highlights.

Get Ready for Fall Migration

Birding

Fall Migration Hot Spots

With autumn on the horizon, you can soon witness—up close and in person—billions of wings on the go in peak season. Here are six of my favorite lookouts.
Ask Kenn!

Ask Kenn: Do Birds Follow the Same Routes in Spring and Fall?

Not necessarily, according to Kenn Kaufman. Here’s why this migration season might bring a different set of bird species than the last one.
Birding

Audubon Guide to Hawk Watching

Ten awesome places to catch one of nature's greatest spectacles.
Birding

Learn How to Start Birding by Ear

Prepare for spring migrants with our six-part birding-by-ear series. By the end, you'll be able to better ID birds through their vocalizations.

Better Know Some Birds

Better Know a Bird

Better Know a Bird: The Clark's Nutcracker and Its Obsessive Seed Hoarding

Better Know a Bird

Better Know a Bird: The Wild and Kinky Mating Rituals of the Crested Auklet

Better Know a Bird

Better Know a Bird: How Harris’s Hawks Hunt Like Wolves to Bring Down Prey

Learn Some Fun Bird Facts

A Canada Goose emerging from water, droplets splashing.
News

10 Fun Facts About the Canada Goose

Yep, it’s actually called a Canada, not a Canadian, Goose. And that’s not even one of our fun facts!
News

10 Fun Facts About the White-throated Sparrow

From their viral tunes to their bizarre genetics, this backyard favorite is full of surprises.
News

10 Fun Facts About the American Woodcock

Find out why one of North America’s oddest-looking birds is also among the most beloved.

Watch Something Funny

News

10 Outrageous Ways Birds Dance to Impress Their Mates

Nature has way better moves than the Funky Chicken.
News

Uh, What Is This Flamingo Doing?

No, really, what's going on here?
News

Watch a Black Heron Fool Fish by Turning Into an Umbrella

The behavior, called canopy feeding, is an especially effective way to hunt.

Consider Picking Up a Camera

Tips and How-Tos

How to Compose the Perfect Bird Photo

Follow these three simple tips to capture the best shot possible.
Tips and How-Tos

How to Use Lighting and Angles to Take Better Bird Photos

Great light and the right perspective can really turn your shot around.
Tips and How-Tos

How to Master Migrant Warbler Photography

Warblers aren't the most cooperative subjects, but they are one of the most beautiful and addictive. Follow this advice to best capture the elusive birds.
Tips and How-Tos

How to Set Up the Perfect Perch for Backyard Bird Photography

These tips will get you and your subject in position for a great image.
Tips and How-Tos

How to Photograph Birds With a Smartphone

You already own a powerful tool for snapping birds. Here’s how to make the most of it.
Tips and How-Tos

How to Shoot (Good) Bird Videos with Your Camera

Do you want to capture a bird's every dip and call? Learn to break in the video mode on your digital camera.

Catch Up on BirdNote Radio

Just Have a Laugh

News

An Ode to Weird Duck Time

Cartoonist Rosemary Mosco reflects on a season that’s special to her—and not only because she invented it.
News

If I Were a Robot, Here's All the Awesome Birding Features I'd Have

Eventually we'll all be cyborgs, so you might as well start thinking about it.
Birds in the News

Five Bird Calls That Will Make You Laugh

Check out these dumb (but endearing) sounds, courtesy of The Birdist.
News

When Is a Bird a ‘Birb’? An Extremely Important Guide

The internet meme has been around for seven years now, so it's high time we establish some ground rules.
News

What’s the Difference Between a ‘Borb’ and a ‘Floof’?

Now that we know what constitutes a birb, it's time to break down the internet's other two nicknames for birds.
News

A Long-Running Ode to the All the *&#% Birders See

A 10-year-old Facebook group celebrates the surprising and weird sightings that can mark a birding trip—no actual birds required.
Bird Guide App

Spend Some Time On the Audubon Bird Guide App

With more than 800 North American species to explore, our newly updated app allows you maintain your life list more easily and even set up bird alerts.

Keep Your Mental Health in Mind

News

Birding With Benefits: How Nature Improves Our Mental Mindsets

Mounting scientific evidence supporting the health benefits of the outdoors is helping shape innovations in medicine, education, and more.
Birding

How to Boost Your Mindfulness and Empathy While Birding

Turning your focus to nature and wildlife can help allay stress and anxiety. But always make others feel at ease, too.
Culture

Three Perspectives on Discovering the Mental Health Benefits of Nature

The outdoors may help us focus or heal, but many grow up isolated from it.

Virtually Tour the Audubon Mural Project

Start Your Own Project

Activities

Making Seed Balls to Help Birds

With this simple DIY, you can spread the power of native plants far and wide.
Bird-Friendly Communities

How to Make a Birdbath

Help your feathered friends beat the heat this summer with this easy DIY birdbath.
Activities

How to Make a DIY Bird Feeder From Recycled Materials

Attract birds to your yard with a project that's fun for kids of all ages.
News

Build a Brush Pile for Birds

This simple backyard project offers shelter for birds in all seasons.
Video

Make Your Own Suet

With this easy vegetarian recipe, you can attract insect lovers like woodpeckers and nuthatches.
Audubon for Kids

Make Migration-Friendly Window Decorations

Help your feathered friends through their journey with an easy DIY project.

Try New Ways to Bird

News

Can't Take a Birding Vacation? Try Google Street View Instead

A flourishing Facebook group is using the mapping tool to find birds all over the world—and they've already checked off hundreds of species.
News

Birding Like It’s 1899: Inside a Blockbuster American West Video Game

In "Red Dead Redemption 2," a birder finds joy and despair in a realistic portrayal of wildlife in the pre-conservation era.
News

My Brief Reign and Embarrassing Fall as a Fantasy Birder

Here's where I failed and the best players cleaned up during 2019's inaugural fantasy birding season.