Captivating Avian Antics: Highlights from the 2024 Audubon Photo Awards

“To exist is to act.” Socrates allegedly uttered this phrase. Or perhaps he did not, as this saying has also been linked to many other figures. Birds seem indifferent to such inquiries; occasionally, they appear satisfied with merely existing, yet more frequently they are engaging in captivating activities.

This aspect is part of what renders avian photography both demanding and endlessly intriguing. A photographer striving to seize the ideal image of a bird is likely to be disrupted at any moment as that bird engages in unexpected behavior. However, with experience and rapid reflexes, such interruptions can be transformed into chances. This year’s Audubon Photography Awards yielded these remarkable moments of birds captured in the act of being and acting. Examine them below, and if you haven’t yet, make sure to view the 2024 photo awards winners, along with the annual Top 100 images.

And don’t overlook: Submissions for the 2025 Audubon Photography Awards commence tomorrow!

A Gathering of Coots

When American Coots traverse open waters, they might initially resemble ducks, but their behavior quickly indicates their true nature. These bold, vocal birds often exhibit aggressive interactions with one another, even standing up in the water and kicking at each other with their large feet. Yet, at other times, they can form groups so tightly packed that little space exists between them. In January, on an ice-covered lake in Ohio, as additional snow fell, these coots stumbled upon the last remaining spot of open water. There, they nestled closely together, nearly standing atop one another, forgetting their typical need for personal space.

It Must Be Here Somewhere

Numerous members of the blackbird family inhabit marshes or similar aquatic environments, yet Rusty Blackbirds maintain a unique bond with shallow waters. Their summer habitat is concentrated in spruce bogs found within the Boreal Forest of Canada and Alaska, and they primarily winter in marshes across the southeastern states. Although they might forage in agricultural fields alongside other blackbirds, Rusty Blackbirds often prefer to be alone, returning to inundated woodlands, wading in water that is merely fractions of an inch deep. There, they probe in the mud with their beaks or turn over wet leaves in search of fallen seeds or hidden invertebrates, as the bird depicted in the photograph is doing.

Predator vs. Predator

The Loggerhead Shrike is a predatory passerine, utilizing its hooked bill to eliminate rodents, lizards, small birds, and insects. It earns the moniker “butcher-bird” due to its tendency to impale its victims on thorns or the barbs of barbed wire. This shrike in Florida has just captured a sizable dragonfly, a common green darner, and has skewered it on a fence, where it is beginning to disassemble the unfortunate insect. Dragonflies are predators as well, and to a medium-sized insect, the swiftly flying green darner presents a daunting image. However, it stands no chance against the hunting skills of the shrike.
 

Tiny Birds, Huge Nest

The Bushtit, a minuscule bird ranging from southwestern Canada to Guatemala, was once believed to be closely related to chickadees and titmice. Genetic research has demonstrated that its nearest kin are the long-tailed tits of Asia and Europe. In terms of constructing nests, Bushtits are remarkably different from North American chickadees, which place straightforward nests inside tree hollows. Conversely, Bushtits create elongated, hanging bags that can reach up to a foot long among leaves, as this pair has accomplished behind the vibrant blooms of a ceanothus. The nest consists of spider silk and plant fibers, heavily padded with plant down, fur, or feathers. The dense walls of the nest have been shown to provide excellent insulation for the eggs and their young that reside within.

Drum Roll, If You Please

The Ruffed Grouse possesses a relatively faint voice. However, when a male declares his territory, he does not do so with sound—instead, the grouse produces a drumming sensation with his wings. Perched on a log or slight elevation, he rotates his wings forward and then rapidly backward. This rapid backward motion creates a temporary vacuum, and the rush of air generates a small sonic boom. Beginning with slow, deliberate beats, the grouse accelerates into a drumroll lasting several seconds. The resulting deep, pulsating sound travels far through the dense foliage of the forest, warning other male grouse to maintain their distance while inviting females to come visit.

Chipping Away

Nuthatches are renowned for their skill in descending trees headfirst, yet they also deserve recognition for their expertise on tree surfaces. With their constant movement of ascending, descending, and navigating around trunks and branches, they inspect the bark and bare wood from every angle, unlike any other bird. Photographer Alexander Eisengart captured this unique view by directing his camera straight up along a sycamore tree as a female White-breasted Nuthatch was descending toward him. Sycamore trunks feature thin, scaly bark and sporadic bare patches; in this action shot, a fragment of wood tumbles from where the nuthatch has just pried it loose, in its quest for hidden insects.

They Mature So Rapidly

Brood parasites—birds that deposit their eggs in the nests of other species—are often larger than their unsuspecting hosts. The primary brood parasite in North America, the Brown-headed Cowbird, frequently lays its eggs in warbler nests, even though an adult cowbird can weigh three to four times more than the average warbler. Cowbirds typically avoid nests located inside tree holes or birdhouses, often seeking open, cup-like nests among foliage for easier access. Nonetheless, the Prothonotary Warbler stands out as an exception to this trend. It is the sole cavity-nesting warbler in eastern North America, but this nesting choice does not spare it from brood parasitism, resulting in adult Prothonotaries often ending up raising a large cowbird chick instead of their own offspring.

Nothing to Observe Here

The potoos found in the American tropics are masters of disguise. When a Common Potoo perches upright atop a stump or vertical snag—or a convenient wooden fencepost, in this instance—its complex pattern of browns and grays allows it to blend seamlessly into its surroundings. It can remain unnoticed day after day, launching into the night to catch sizable insects mid-flight. During the breeding season, the female potoo doesn’t concern herself with constructing a nest; she simply lays her singular egg in a shallow depression atop such a daytime perch, andshe and her partner alternate incubating. The egg itself, showcased here, lacks effective camouflage, but it’s typically concealed beneath the feathers of the adult.

Plant Strength

The majority of songbirds, including those classified as seed-consumers, diversify their diets with numerous insects during various times of the year. Members of the finch family are distinct: Many of them uphold a diet that is nearly entirely herbivorous across all seasons. In the case of the House Finch, it will consume a few small insects when they are readily accessible, but plant matter makes up approximately 97 percent of its total intake. The category of plant material shifts with location and season. Seeds dominate in winter in colder regions, of course, but the finches relay on numerous small fruits and berries during late summer, and they often feast on buds or blossoms in spring.

Exaggerated Displays

Male ducks typically possess more ornate feathers than females, but during mating season, they do not solely depend on their appearance to draw in a partner. Instead, males of the majority of species execute ritualized courtship displays. These displays differ, but among the diving duck types of North America, they generally pertain to the head’s position: extending the neck, swaying the head from side to side, and ultimately throwing the head back so far that it’s inverted and resting on the bird’s rear. For the Redhead, courtship and pair-bonding commence prior to the onset of northward migration in late winter. Observers anywhere within the Redhead’s winter range may have the opportunity to witness the dramatic head-throws of the eager males.

Preliminary Warm-up

The expansive wings of Black Vultures enable them to soar effortlessly, and they also contribute to helping the large birds manage their body temperatures. Early in the day, particularly on brisk mornings, the vultures often alight facing either directly toward or away from the sun. By spreading their wings, they absorb the sun’s warmth, as members of this group in Florida are doing on a January morning, heating up their muscles before taking to the sky. Surprisingly, however, Black Vultures can adopt a similar pose to cool down in certain circumstances. If they stand with wings extended in extremely hot weather, additional body heat can dissipate through the sparsely feathered underside of the wings.