The Winners Of The 2020 Audubon Photography Awards Are Spectacular

From a roadrunner snacking on a big fence lizard to a cormorant taking the plunge for a sardine supper, the winners of the National Audubon Society's 2020 Audubon Photography Awards have been announced and they're extraordinarily breathtaking.

This year, six prizes and four honorable mentions were announced, awarded on technical quality, originality, and artistic merit, all while committing to following ethical bird photography guidelines.

Judges, which included Jason Ward, the host of "Birds of North America," scoured through 6,000 submissions, sent from all 50 states and seven Canadian provinces, and graded each photographer's ability to effectively capture the "creativity, wonder, and beauty of species small and large, terrestrial and aquatic." Here are some of our favorites:

​Grand Prize Winner

Species: Double-crested cormorant

Photographer: Joanna Lentini

Location: Los Islotes, Mexico

Outdoor adventure photographer Joanna Lentini spent hours underwater at this sea lion rookery in the Bay of La Paz and says she "never before encountered diving cormorants there," adding, "I watched in awe as the cormorants plunged beak-first into the sea to snap at the sardines swimming by."

Professional Winner

Species: Magnificent frigatebird

Photographer: Sue Dougherty

Location: Genovesa Island, Ecuador

Dougherty was in the vicinity of a frigatebird breeding colony in the Galápagos when she spotted this male with his "throat pouch lit up by the sun." "The birds were very active and stunningly close, and the experience was all the more special because I was with great friends who were equally mesmerized by the scene," Dougherty said.

Amateur Winner

Species: Bare-throated tiger-heron

Photographer: Gail Bisson

Location: Tárcoles River, Costa Rica

Bisson spotted this bare-throated Tiger-Heron while on a boat trip. "I raised my camera and quickly switched to a portrait orientation to capture the beautiful post-storm sky behind it," Bisson recalled.

Youth Winner

Species: Northern jacana

Photo: Vayun Tiwari/Audubon Photography Awards/2020 Youth Winner

Location: New River, Orange Walk District, Belize

While on a boat ride on the New River, Tiwari saw the bird nesting on water lilies and was surprised when it walked directly towards her camera.

Plants for Birds Winner

Species: American goldfinch

Photographer: Travis Bonovsky

Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Bonovsky was fortunate to spot this bird in the gardens of North Mississippi Regional Park. "One late July day I was lucky enough to witness a female American Goldfinch plunge her head into a plant," he said.

Fisher Prize Winner

Species: American dipper

Photographer: Marlee Fuller-Morris

Location: Yosemite National Park, California

Fuller-Morris was hiking on a "little-known trail in Yosemite" and saw an American Dipper make an splash in search of food.

Professional Honorable Mention

Species: Greater sage-grouse

Photographer: Gene Putney

Location: Jackson County, Colorado

Putney was watching this bird performing a mating ritual out on the prairie of Colorado. "I thought it was a neat perspective to get his photo from behind," he said.

Amateur Honorable Mention

Species: Anna's hummingbird

Photographer: Bibek Ghosh

Location: Ardenwood Historic Farm, California

Ghosh spotted this hummer on a historic farm that includes a "water fountain that's a magnet for birds." "I finally captured the bird succeeding at its game," Ghosh explained.

Youth Honorable Mention

Species: Greater roadrunner

Photographer: Christopher Smith

Location: San Joaquin River Parkway, California

Smith was visiting a nature preserve in Fresno when he heard the call of the roadrunner and followed it to find one bringing his mate a tasty treat in the form of a big fence lizard. "The roadrunner perched on a post above me for nearly 10 minutes," he said.

Plants for Birds Honorable Mention

Species: Tennessee warbler

Photographer: Natalie Robertson

Location: Point Pelee National Park, Ontario, Canada

Robertson spotted this bird perched on an eastern prickly gooseberry. "I was thrilled to get a clear image of this warbler drinking nectar from the tiny flowers."

[See more photos at Audubon]