Nature lovers from around the world entered more than 25,000 images in our 2017 National Wildlife® Photo Contest. Each of these images reflects the photographer’s individual style, captures a special moment in time and displays myriad levels of photographic technique. Our panel of judges selected the photos displayed below as honorable mentions in this year’s contest. See the winning images.
BIRDS
Carol Werb
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Double-crested Cormorant, Green Cay Wetlands, Florida
MAMMALS
Sean Crane
Scarsdale, New York
Polar Bear and Sunrise, Seal River, Manitoba
BACKYARD HABITATS
Anne Grimes
Ayden, North Carolina
Anole on Pitcher Plant
BIRDS
Jacques-André Dupont
Montreal, Quebec
Northern Gannets, Bonaventure Island
BABY ANIMALS
Alan Jones
East Lansing, Michigan
Coastal Brown Bears, Lake Clark National Park
BACKYARD HABITATS
Leigh Scott
Lowell, Massachusetts
A Tufted Titmouse and Uninvited Guest
MAMMALS
Prelena Soma Owen
Johannesburg, South Africa
The Burning Earth, South African Game Reserve
LANDSCAPES & PLANTS
Ira Estin
Midpoints, California
Valley View of Yosemite in Winter
OTHER WILDLIFE
Cesere Brothers
Wailuku, Hawaii
Pygmy Seahorse, Sulawesi, Indonesia
BIRDS
Kenneth Lassman
Boynton Beach, Florida
Great Blue Heron Courtship, Wakodahatchee Wetlands, Florida
BACKYARD HABITATS
Anne Grimes
Ayden, North Carolina
Salvia and Snail
MAMMALS
Patricia Rischar
Quincy, Illinois
Unseen in the Savanna, Botswana
PEOPLE IN NATURE
Cory LaPointe
Kingston, Ontario
Milky Way Sky Self-Portrait
BABY ANIMALS
Stephen Fabricius
Cape Elizabeth, Maine
King Penguin and Chicks, South Georgia Island
LANDSCAPES & PLANTS
Mark Kelley
Juneau, Alaska
Arctic Night Lights, Brooks Range, Alaska
BACKYARD HABITATS
Juergen Roth
Natick, Massachusetts
Fly Drinking Water, Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, Massachusetts
LANDSCAPES & PLANTS
Kelley Carey
Scottsdale, Arizona
Geometric Spines, Brown's Ranch Trailhead, Arizona
BIRDS
Kallol Mukherjee
Singur, India
Portrait of a flying blue-tailed bee-eater with catch, Damodar River, West Bengal
BABY ANIMALS
Axel Elfner
Tucson, Arizona
Black Bear Cub, Rocky Mountain National Park
BACKYARD HABITATS
William Kleinfelder
Cocoa, Florida
Burrowing Owl, Cape Coral, Florida
LANDSCAPES & PLANTS
Connor Stefanison
Burnaby, British Columbia
Summer melt water flowing through snow tunnel, Garibaldi Provincial Park
OTHER WILDLIFE
Glenn Ostle
Charlotte, North Carolina
Shrimp on Corallimorph, Grand Cayman
BACKYARD HABITATS
Janet Lewis
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Snowy Female Cardinal
MAMMALS
Bence Mate
Pusztaszer, Hungary
Transvaal Lion, Mkuze, South Africa
BIRDS
Bence Mate
Pusztaszer, Hungary
Pygmy Cormorant and Grey Heron, Kiskunság National Park
LANDSCAPES & PLANTS
Marcio Cabral
Brasília, Brazil
Electric Sunset, Uyuni Salt Flat, Bolivia
BACKYARD HABITATS
John Gooday
Harlow, England
Hoverfly feeds on a flower in my garden
LANDSCAPES & PLANTS
Jose Pesquero
Madrid, Spain
Fungi World
PEOPLE IN NATURE
Sami Rahkonen
Guldsmedshyttan, Sweden
A man canoeing in a beautiful autumn landscape, Nyberget, Sweden
BACKYARD HABITATS
William Kleinfelder
Cocoa, Florida
"Nature's Camouflage," Eastern screech owl sitting in entrance to cavity burrow
LANDSCAPES & PLANTS
Casey Wieber
Paso Robles, California
Tunnel View Sunrise, Yosemite National Park
BIRDS
Meg Puente
Delray Beach, Florida
Great egret flying back to nest with stick, Wakodahatchee Wetlands, Florida
MAMMALS
Missy Mandel
Toronto, Ontario
Polar Bear and Cub, Kaktovik, Alaska
OTHER WILDLIFE
Johnathan Mack
Ithaca, New York
Pearl Crescent Butterfly
BACKYARD HABITATS
Linda Arndt
Winter, Wisconsin
Black-capped chickadee on a backyard fence
LANDSCAPES & PLANTS
Casey Wieber
Paso Robles, California
Pierce Ferry Sunset, Meadview, Arizona
PEOPLE IN NATURE
Christopher Doherty
Jupiter, Florida
Whale shark and Diver, Isla Mujeres, Mexico
BACKYARD HABITATS
Lisa Carper
Glen, New Hampshire
Goldfinch
MAMMALS
James Anderson
Calgary, Alberta
Mountain goat walking on mountain cliff, Banff National Park
LANDSCAPES & PLANTS
Charmaine Delmatier
Laramie, Wyoming
Corn Lily, Bridger-Teton National Forest
BACKYARD HABITATS
Emily Rosenblatt
Two Rivers, Alaska
Aurora Borealis over my log cabin
OTHER WILDLIFE
Ramesh Chandar
Thornhill, Ontario
Golden Silk Orb Weaver, Hong Kong
BIRDS
Susan Perry
Fayetteville, Georgia
Great egret with her feathers around her chick, St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park
LANDSCAPES & PLANTS
Adam Jewell
Conshohocken, Pennsylvania
Swollen creek gushes down through the Sol Duc Rainforest, Olympic National Park
MAMMALS
William Walkowiak
Chesapeake Beach, Maryland
Alaska brown bear faces off with Mature American bald eagle, McNeil River State Game Sanctuary, Alaska
OTHER WILDLIFE
Gustavo Costa
Campeche, Mexico
A sea full of stars, Cozumel, Mexico
PEOPLE IN NATURE
Matthew Borowick
New York, New York
A man walks along the top of the Great Sand Dunes in Southern Colorado
BACKYARD HABITATS
Cheryl Grono
Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania
Green frog relaxing on a lily flower in our backyard reflecting pool
BABY ANIMALS
Louise Rishoff
Agoura Hills, California
California Sea Otter and Pup, Morro Bay, California
BIRDS
David Kravetz
Lexington, Kentucky
Migrating Sandhill Cranes
OTHER WILDLIFE
Flavio Flavio
Firenze, Toscana
Clownfish, Marsa Alam, Egypt
MAMMALS
Tianne Strombeck
Garland, Texas
Long-tongued Bat, Tandayapa Valley, Ecuador
LANDSCAPES & PLANTS
Adam Horvath
Budapest, Hungary
Bells, Budaörs, Hungary
OTHER WILDLIFE
Gil Wizen
Mississauga, Ontario
Antlered Fly, Mindo, Ecuador
LANDSCAPES & PLANTS
Douglas Steakley
Carmel Valley, California
Kirkjufell & Kirkjufellfoss, Iceland
MAMMALS
Howard Jennings Jr.
Cadyville, New York
Zebra moving upstream against migrating Wildebeests in the Serengeti, Tanzania
OTHER WILDLIFE
Leka Huie
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Honey Bee, Victoria Park, Hong Kong
PEOPLE IN NATURE
Carol Lettko
Point Richmond, California
Kayaker at Sunset
OTHER WILDLIFE
Freddie Beckwith
Pottsboro, Texas
Banded Coral Shrimp, Bonaire
MAMMALS
Jeff Nadler
Oceanside, California
Spirit Bear, Gribbell Island, British Columbia
LANDSCAPES & PLANTS
Barry Vangrov
Atlanta, Georgia
Sun Rising Behind Driftwood Tree, Jekyll Island, Georgia
BACKYARD HABITATS
Doreen Damm
New Port Richey, Florida
Watchful Mother Raccoon
OTHER WILDLIFE
Leigh Ayres
Oshawa, Ontario
Dragonfly captured by the early morning dew, Oshawa Conservation Area
MAMMALS
James Anderson
Calgary, Alberta
Elk wading in Jasper Lake, Jasper National Park
LANDSCAPES & PLANTS
Tom Croce
Lebanon, Ohio
Spring Fern, Ault Park, Cincinnati, Ohio
BACKYARD HABITATS
Randy Streufert
Lorton, Virginia
Bumble Bee and Yellow jacket
PEOPLE IN NATURE
John K. Putnam
Southwest Harbor, Maine
Hiker on Acadia's Coast, Acadia National Park
BIRDS
Kenneth Lassman
Boynton Beach, Florida
Overcrowded Perch, Green Cay Wetlands, Florida
OTHER WILDLIFE
Jake Mosher
Billings, Montana
Jumping Spider, Yellowstone National Park
BABY ANIMALS
Lisl Moolman
Phalaborwa, Limpopo
A Tiny Baboon’s Touch, Kruger National Park
LANDSCAPES & PLANTS
Scott Johnson
Juneau, Alaska
Morning Sunrise, Many Glacier Lodge, Montana
MAMMALS
Ken Busch
Brunswick, Ohio
Red fox slowly moving into the early light
OTHER WILDLIFE
Jose Pesquero
Madrid, Spain
Conehead Mantis
PEOPLE IN NATURE
Leitao Chen
Houston, Texas
Camping under the Milky Way, Cannonville, Utah
BABY ANIMALS
Robert Sprague
Douglassville, Pennsylvania
Guira cuckoo fledglings, Brazil's Pantanal
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