It’s one thing to see a photo of a bird, frozen in time. It’s another thing to see a creature moving through its habitat. In the video, we can see how well they beat their wings, shake their heads and interact with the world around them. The Audubon Photography Awards showcase birds across the United States, Canada, and, in the 16th year of the competition, Chile and Colombia. The 2025 competition opened the awards to two South American countries, showing the diversity of species and the many opportunities to marvel at the winged creatures that inhabit our world.
In addition to the photo winners of this contest, the organization is also putting together bonus sites selected from last year’s contest entries. One of them includes a collection of 10 videos, with a 50/50 share of birds from North and South America. The collection highlights all kinds of winged creatures, from the Snowy Owl basking in melted snow to the shy Torrent Duck contemplating flight from a rushing river rock. Next to the images there is a text behind the scenes, provided by the videographer, to give more context to the behavior of the birds, adding to the fear that we can’t help but feel when we watch these clips.
Scroll down for 10 of your favorite Audubon Photography Awards videos from its 2025 competition.
The Audubon Photography Awards reveal the top 10 bird videos entered in their 2025 contest. Watch below:
Snowy Owl by Danny Oh
Location: Duxbury Beach, Massachusetts
I took this video as we left the beach one morning after photographing several Snowy Owls. We were surprised when this bird was on a dirt road bathing in a hole of melted snow. Take a long shower.
Allen’s Hummingbird by Sukhjot Singh
Location: Irvine, California
Winter may seem like an unusual time to build a nest, but here in Southern California, Allen’s hummingbirds start from the beginning of October, this female Allen’s carefully searched for a place to build a nest. 40 mph Finally, the smallest beaks appeared and began to beg for food from their mother, and after a while the chicks began to flap their wings.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher by Sukhjot Singh
Location: San Joaquin Marsh, Irvine, California
“Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are one of our most beautiful birds, and my goal was to show why they are called bees in a video. Documenting these small birds is difficult, as they often move and fly very fast. A small but impressive bird.”
The golden headed manakin is Reuben Towers Restrepo
Location: Vereda San Mauricio, Yalí, Antioquia, Colombia
“Approximately four years ago I discovered that, in the forest that I used to cross during my monitoring trips, Golden-headed Manakins gather in the same place to lek, perform courtship and mating rituals. To attract the females, while the males practice their “dances”. In this area, I recorded about eight males at the same time.”
Torrent Duck by León Felipe Jiménez
Location: Gachetá, Cundinamarca, Colombia
“The Torrent Duck is a shy and elusive species that requires patience, knowledge of its behavior, and a subtle approach to photography.” Getting close to these ducks was a real challenge, as one wrong step would send them flying down the river. I spent several years documenting the natural history of this species as part of a short film about the Torrent Ducks of the Andean rivers of Colombia.
Common Loon by Danny Oh
Location: Long Lake, Bridgton, Maine
“I’ve been following this Common Loon family in Maine for years. This year, the couple had one baby. I believe this event was from the first week after the baby hatched. The baby was on its mother’s back in the afternoon after being fed all day, so the baby was full and tired. Tripod.”
Cedar Waxwing by Andy Raupp
Location: Montello, Wisconsin
In our backyard, this video of two Cedar Waxwings frolicking in a shallow pond.’ I was happy to take this slow motion video of two wax wings flying.”
Thornbill with a rainbow beard by Juan Jacobo Castillo
Location: Armenia, Quindío, Colombia
This video was taken in the Colombian Andes, two kilometers above sea level, in the Andean forest area where this hummingbird lives. These pictures were the result of waiting six hours in the cold, rain and fog. its feathers at different times. These birds are known to have a lot of territory, they often return to their favorite place, so I focused on the branch where I knew it would stay, set up the camera, and captured this magical moment as the bird moved on and stretched its feathers.”
Black-necked swan by Sebastian Jesus Varela Monsalve
Location: La Albarrada, Arauco, Chile
“I was out looking for birds with my partner, and thanks to the advice from my friend, we went to La Albarrada, in our hometown of Arauco. To get to this wetland, you have to go down to the foot of the hill. When we arrived, we saw two black-necked chicks with chicks. to enjoy that special moment.”
Plumeleteer made in white by Juan Antonio Alonso de Juan
Location: Pacho, Cundinamarca, Colombia
“Over the years, while walking my dogs, I have collected small native plants that grow on the roadsides that are often destined to be cut during routine cleaning. A nacedero tree can be seen, whose flowers feed at least seven different species of hummingbirds that I have seen in my garden.”
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My Modern Met has been licensed to reproduce the photographs by the National Audubon Society.
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