You Must See These Spectacular Hummingbird Photo Contest Winners

Rachel MaidlUpdated: Mar. 31, 2022

We received over 1,000 outstanding entries in our 2020 Hummingbird Photo Contest. Check out the stunning winners and beautiful honorable mentions.

Courtesy Marilyn Martindale

Grand Prize

The winner of the 2020 Hummingbird Photo Contest is Marilyn Martindale of Prescott Valley, Arizona. She says, “I was sitting outside when an Anna’s hummingbird landed in my rose bush. He stayed there until I grabbed my Nikon D3300 and allowed me to snap several pictures as he was showing off his beautiful iridescent colors.” Follow these 8 tips to take breathtaking hummingbird photos

A female Anna's hummingbird plays in the water of a fountain.

Courtesy J.B. Smith

Second Place

J.B. Smith of Anacortes, Washington says, “I have a small birdbath in my garden that I added a solar powered sprayer to this year. The hummingbirds loved it!”

An Allen's hummingbird perches peacefully on a branch.

Robert Ho

Third Place

Robert Ho of South San Francisco, California, says, “This Allen’s hummingbird sat alone peacefully on a perch early in the morning. The mood of the image was so zen-like and the color of the bird was simply stunning.” You have to see these rare white hummingbird sightings.

A male ruby-throated hummingbird spreads his wings while sitting on a hummingbird feeder.

Felice Bond

Honorable Mention: On the Feeder

Felice Bond of Moneta, Virginia, took this photo of a ruby-throated hummingbird in her backyard. She set up her Canon EOS 7D camera on a tripod and hid on her screen porch with the door cracked open just enough for the lens to peek out for a photo. Check out 10 adorable pictures of baby hummingbirds.

An Anna's hummingbird sitting on a plant covered in snow.

James Leonard

Honorable Mention: Winter Visitor

James Leonard of Salem, Oregon, took this photo of an Anna’s hummingbird after a snow storm. Psst—learn how to make sugar water for hummingbirds.

A close-up of a female Anna's hummingbird sitting on a nest with pollen on its beak.

Patricia Crockett

Honorable Mention: Ready for a Close-up

Patricia Crockett of San Diego, California, is an avid birder. She was lucky enough to observe and photograph a female Anna’s hummingbird build a nest in one of her palm trees. Learn everything you need to know about hummingbird nests.

A ruby-throated hummingbird peeks at the photographer as it sits on a piece of barbed wire.

Marianne Raft

Honorable Mention: Prickly Perch

Marianne Raft of Loudon, Tennessee, says, “A favorite landing zone in my garden is old barbed wire fence. I put some Spanish moss on the wire to make it a softer landing.”

A ruby-throated hummingbird sits on a deck after a rainstorm.

Janis Volker

Honorable Mention: Rainy Day

Janis Volker of Rice Lake, Wisconsin, says this ruby-throated hummingbird would sit near her on her deck. She took this photo just after a rainstorm. Follow these expert tips for attracting hummingbirds.

A ruby-throated hummingbird sips nectar from a firecracker plant.

Carl Bilancione

Honorable Mention: Taking a Sip

Carl Bilancione of Winter Springs, Florida, planted firecracker bushes in his backyard to attract ruby-throated hummingbirds. Check out the top 10 tube-shaped flowers that attract hummingbirds.

A wasp disrupts a hummingbird at a sugar-water feeder.

Ginny Phillips

Honorable Mention: Buzzin’ Around

Ginny Phillips of Prescott, Arizona, took this picture of a hummingbird attempting to drink some sugar-water while being bothered by a wasp. Discover 7 natural ways to keep bees and ants away from hummingbird feeders.

Originally Published: August 20, 2020

Rachel Maidl

Rachel Maidl is a senior editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. She enjoys bird-watching in her urban backyard and local state parks, gardening for pollinators and researching new plants. Her favorite backyard visitors are the bumblebees that visit her sedums.