Every spring, the judges of the Audubon Photography Awards gather at Audubon's headquarters in Manhattan to review their favorite images and select the finalists. But as with much of life in 2020, this year's awards had to be handled differently due to pandemicrelated travel, work, and social-distancing restrictions. So, for our 11th annual awards, which saw more than 6,000 submissions, the judges assembled in an epic day-long Zoom meeting to winnow down the remaining pool to just the 10 winners and honorable mentions shown here.

1. Audubon Photography Awards
The2020AudubonPhotographyAwards:Winners
This year's top shots delight with dazzling colors and fresh perspectives.
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Summer 2020
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Every spring, the judges of the Audubon Photography Awards gather
at Audubon's headquarters in Manhattan to review their favorite
images and select the finalists. But as with much of life in 2020, this
year's awards had to be handled differently due to pandemic-
related travel, work, and social-distancing restrictions. So, for our
11th annual awards, which saw more than 6,000 submissions,
the judges assembled in an epic day-long Zoom meeting to winnow
down the remaining pool to just the 10 winners and honorable
mentions shown here.
As always, the task was simultaneously unenviable and inspiring. The
thousands of submissions from nearly 1,800 entrants showed birdlife in all of its splendor. In total, photographers from
all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and 7 Canadian provinces entered images that captured the creativity, wonder, and
beauty of species small and large, terrestrial and aquatic.
This year we also continue with two new awards introduced in 2019: The Fisher Prize, which recognizes an image that
is as artistic as it is revealing, and the Plants for Birds category, which honors the top photographs illustrating the
crucial relationship between native plants and birds.
Our heartfelt congratulations to the photographers behind these stunning shots, and thank you to all of the entrants for
your truly remarkable appreciation of birds.
The 2020 APA Judges
Sabine Meyer, photography director, National Audubon Society
Steve Freligh, publisher, Nature’s Best Photography
Melissa Groo, wildlife photographer and winner of the 2015 contest’s Grand Prize
Allen Murabayashi, chairman and co-founder, PhotoShelter
John Rowden, director of community conservation, National Audubon Society
Jason Ward, bird expert and host of “Birds of North America”
Judging criteria: technical quality, originality, artistic merit
Grand Prize Winner: Joanna Lentini
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3. Category: Professional
Species: Double-crested Cormorant
Location: Los Islotes, Mexico
Camera: Canon EOS 7D Mark II with Tokina 10-17mm f/3.5-4.5 AT-X 107 DX AF Fisheye lens; 1/640 second at f/6.3;
ISO 320
Story Behind the Shot: I’ve spent many hours underwater at this California sea lion rookery in the Bay of La Paz, but
I had never before encountered diving cormorants there. Shifting my focus from the playful sea lions, I watched in awe
as the cormorants plunged beak-first into the sea to snap at the sardines swimming by. Although I spent a long time
admiring these birds, I didn’t see a single one catch a fish. Adding insult to injury, curious sea lion pups would zip by the
hunting birds and nip at them from behind.
Bird Lore: Cormorants are superb divers, well adapted to rapid pursuit of fish underwater. Their bodies are heavy but
streamlined, with dense plumage. When they dive, they hold their wings tightly to their sides, propelling themselves
with their powerful legs and webbed feet, steering through the water with their tails. Some cormorants may be capable
of diving more than 300 feet below the surface, but most of their hunting is done at shallower depths.
Fisher Prize Winner: Marlee Fuller-Morris

4. Category: Amateur
Species: American Dipper
Location: Yosemite National Park, California
Camera: Canon EOS 70D with Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens; 1/2000 second at f/5.6; ISO 800
Story Behind the Shot: I followed a little-known trail in Yosemite to the top of a small waterfall and sat at the edge of
the pool. A moment later, a dipper flew in. The river was moving quickly, but it wasn’t too deep. So instead of diving, the
bird stuck its head underwater in search of prey. I thought the spectacular splash would make an awesome photo. The
bird kept getting closer and closer as I sat snapping hundreds of shots of that splash. I will treasure that afternoon as
one of my favorite moments in Yosemite!
Bird Lore: The American Dipper lives on the edge—on the boundary between air and water, on the border between
streams and their banks, and even on that vague margin between songbirds (it is one, technically) and water birds.
Above the surface or below, it can either walk or fly, demonstrating a mastery of all its elements, and attracting the
admiration of the most creative photographers.
Amateur Winner: Gail Bisson

5. Bare-throated Tiger-Heron. Photo: Gail Bisson/Audubon Photography Awards
Species: Bare-throated Tiger-Heron
Location: Tárcoles River, Costa Rica
Camera: Canon EOS-1D X with Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS III USM lens; 1/800 second at f/4.0; ISO 1600
Story Behind the Shot: After a torrential rainstorm, I went out on a late-afternoon boat trip on the Tárcoles River. It
was still raining when we left the boat ramp, but once the sky finally cleared, we spotted this Bare-throated Tiger-Heron
walking along the river. As the boat drifted by, the bird leaned over the bank to watch us. I raised my camera and
quickly switched to a portrait orientation to capture the beautiful post-storm sky behind it.
Bird Lore: Stocky and chunky, suggesting bitterns in shape, the three species of tiger-herons lurk in mangrove swamps
and along rivers in the American tropics. The Bare-throated Tiger-Heron is the northernmost of these species, found
mainly from Mexico to Panama. It is often most active at dawn and dusk, but fortunate observers sometimes spot one
hunting fish and frogs in bright daylight.
Plants for Birds Winner: Travis Bonovsky