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NEW YORK â€“ Today, the Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ announced the winning photographs of the 2020 Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ Photography Awards six prizes and four honorable mentions. The award-winning entries were selected from more than 6,000 submissions from across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and seven Canadian provinces and territories.

The eleventh year of the contest honored images that evoke the ingenuity, resilience, and beauty of birds small and large, terrestrial and aquatic across four divisions: Professional, Amateur, Youth and Plants for Birds. The winning photos will be featured in future issues of Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ and magazines.

The 2020 contest includes the second year of winning photographs for the Plants for Birds Prize and the Fisher Prize. The Plants for Birds Prize highlights the essential role of native plants and the natural habitat and food sources they provide for birds. The Fisher Prize, named after former creative director of Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ Kevin Fisher, is awarded to the photo that exemplifies a blend of originality and technical expertise.

As many enjoy the allure and beauty of birds, two-thirds of North American birds are threatened by extinction from climate change according to Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ’s latest climate science report, Survival by Degrees: 389 Bird Species on the Brink, including species featured in the winning and forthcoming Top 100 collections. Learn more about how climate change will affect the birds in your backyard and communities by entering your zip code into Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ‘s interactive Birds and Climate Visualizer.

Finally, the winning photos of the 2020 Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ Photography Awards:

Grand Prize Winner

Double-crested Cormorant. Photo: Joanna Lentini/Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ Photography Awards/2020 Grand Prize Winner

Professional Winner

Magnificent Frigatebird. Photo: Sue Dougherty/Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ Photography Awards/2020 Professional Winner

Amateur Winner

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron. Photo: Gail Bisson/Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ Photography Awards/2020 Amateur Winner

Youth Winner

Northern Jacana. Photo: Vayun Tiwari/Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ Photography Awards/2020 Youth Winner

Plants for Birds Winner

American Goldfinch on a cup plant. Photo: Travis Bonovsky/Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ Photography Awards/2020 Plants for Birds Winner

Fisher Prize Winner

American Dipper. Photo: Marlee Fuller-Morris/Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ Photography Awards/2020 Fisher Prize Winner

Professional Honorable Mention

Greater Sage-Grouse. Photo: Gene Putney/Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ Photography Awards/2020 Professional Honorable Mention

Amateur Honorable Mention

Anna’s Hummingbird. Photo: Bibek Ghosh/Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ Photography Awards/2020 Amateur Honorable Mention

Youth Honorable Mention

Greater Roadrunner. Photo: Christopher Smith/Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ Photography Awards/2020 Youth Honorable Mention

Plants for Birds Honorable Mention

Tennessee Warbler on an eastern prickly gooseberry. Photo: Natalie Robertson/Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ Photography Awards/2020 Plants for Birds Honorable Mention

2020 Contest Prizes:

• Grand Prize: $5,000
• Professional Prize: $2,500
• Amateur Prize: $2,500
• Plants for Birds Prize: $2,500
• Fisher Prize: $1,000
• Youth Prize: Six days at the in Maine to become a better birder or bird photographer during the 2021 season (transportation included)

Meet the 2020 Contest Judges:

• Steve Freligh, publisher, Nature’s Best Photography
• Melissa Groo, wildlife photographer and winner of the 2015 contest’s Grand Prize
• Sabine Meyer, photography director, Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ
• Allen Murabayashi, chairman and co-founder, PhotoShelter
• John Rowden, senior director of bird-friendly communities, Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ
• Jason Ward, bird expert and host of "Birds of North America"

Editor's Note: After learning about serious allegations against Jason Ward, the Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ has severed its ties with him.

Judging Criteria & Official Rules:

• Technical quality
• Originality
• Artistic merit.
• All photographers must follow Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ’s Guide to Ethical Bird Photography.

To learn more about Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ’s Plants for Birds program and Native Plants Database, please visit: /native-plants.

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About Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ
Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ protects birds and the places they need, today and tomorrow. Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ works throughout the Americas using science, advocacy, education, and on-the-ground conservation. State programs, nature centers, chapters, and partners give Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ an unparalleled wingspan that reaches millions of people each year to inform, inspire, and unite diverse communities in conservation action. A nonprofit conservation organization since 1905, Ô¼ÅÚÊÓƵ believes in a world in which people and wildlife thrive. Learn more at  and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @audubonsociety.

Media Contact: Chandler Lennon, chandler.lennon@audubon.org, 804.832.0832