Audubon Society announces 2019 bird photography award winners
The National Audubon Society has announced the 2019 winners of its annual photography competition, and the birds are looking great.
In addition to the Grand Prize, which went to Kathrin Swoboda for her photo of a Red-winged Blackbird, the contest awards prizes in four divisions: professional, amateur, youth, and plants for birds. There's also the Fisher Prize, which goes to a photograph "depicting the most creative approach to bird photography across all divisions."
This year, the society noted that many of the birds featured are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, which bans the sale or trade of migratory birds, their eggs, and their nests. It remains one of the Audubon Society's trademark successes. However, the Trump administration has put the legislation in jeopardy through a lax interpretation, which does not hold industries accountable for "incidental" bird deaths that occur on their watch — including birds killed by power lines as well as disasters like oil spills.
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You can learn more about the winning 2019 images and see honorable mentions in each category on the Audubon Society website.
Image: Kathrin Swoboda / Audubon Photography Awards
Image: Michael Schulte / Audubon Photography Awards
Image: Sebastian Velasquez / Audubon Photography Awards
Image: Elizabeth Boehm / Audubon Photography Awards
Image: Mariam Kamal / Audubon Photography Awards
Image: Ly Dang / Audubon Photography Awards
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