In Pictures | Stunning photographs from the 2016 Audubon Photography Awards

In 2016, like every year, Audubon magazine hosted its annual wildlife photography competition. This year's saw some of the best in class bird photography as the competition for 2016 was a tribute to the winged beauties that liven our skies.

A panel of five judges including last year's grand prize winner, wildlife photographer Melissa Groo, went through and evaluated nearly 7000 submissions from 1700 competitors.

On April 21, the magazine announced its 5 winners and the 4 honourable mentions.

The winning photographs would be published in the Audubon magazine and Nature's Best Photography magazine. The photographs would also be on display at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History within the 2016 Nature's Best Photography Exhibition.

Let's have a look at the winners and the honourable mentions!