Liron Gertsman, Rock Pigeons, White Rock, British Columbia, Canada. Audubon Photography Awards 2023 Grand Prize Winner. All images courtesy of Audubon Photography Awards, shared with permission
The 2023 Audubon Photography Awards Zeros In on Threats to Avian Life Amid the Climate Emergency
About two-thirds, or 389 species, of birds native to North America are at risk of extinction due to the effects of the climate crisis. Rising global temperatures are predicted to force adaption or migration to new territories, two consequences of human-caused change that imperil avian survival. Some of the most threatened species include the dunlin, short–eared owl, and Baltimore oriole, all of which are featured in this year’s Audubon Photography Awards.
Selected from 2,200 entries, the winners of the 2023 contest spotlight a mix of avian antics. A rock pigeon sweetly grooms a mate, a reddish egret snaps up a tiny fish, and a chinstrap penguin dive into frigid Antarctic waters. While not all species photographed are in immediate danger, the images together showcase birds’ vast diversity and its potential loss amid climate disaster.
The Audubon Photography Awards are now in the fourteenth year, and you can find all of the top entries from 2023, along with previous winners, on its site.
Sandra M. Rothenberg, Baltimore Oriole, Warren, Pennsylvania. Audubon Photography Awards 2023 Female Bird Prize WinnerNathan Arnold, Reddish Egret, San Carlos Bay-Bunche Beach Preserve, Fort Myers, Florida. Audubon Photography Awards 2023 Amateur Honorable MentionLinda Scher, Verdin and cane cholla, Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson, Arizona. Audubon Photography Awards 2023 Plants For Birds WinnerVicki Santello, tree swallows and bald cypress, Atchafalaya Swamp, Louisiana. Audubon Photography Awards 2023 Plants For Birds Honorable MentionKaren Blackwood, Chinstrap Penguin, near Esperanza Station in Cierva Cove, Antarctica. Audubon Photography Awards 2023 Amateur WinnerKieran Barlow, Dunlin, Barnegat Light, New Jersey. Audubon Photography Awards 2023 Youth WinnerLeft: Shane Kalyn, Atlantic Puffin, Westman Islands, Iceland. Audubon Photography Awards 2023 Professional Winner. Right: Sunil Gopalan, Brown Pelican, Galapagos National Park, Ecuador. Audubon Photography Awards 2023 Fisher Prize WinnerLiron Gertsman, Northern Hawk Owl, Thompson-Nicola, British Columbia, Canada. Audubon Photography Awards 2023 Professional Honorable Mention