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Illustrator David Sibley and actor H. Jon Benjamin will face off in the bird illustration battle of the century during BirdNote's Year-end Celebration and Auction!
BirdNote's 2026 Photo Contest has closed. Thank you to everyone who participated in this year's contest! Winners will be announced on Wednesday, April 8 at 12pm PT / 3pm ET, during our "Comics and Conservation" virtual event.
Entry Period
Submission for BirdNote’s 2026 Photo Contest, for both the General Bird Photography and Conservation Actions categories will run from Friday, February 6, 2026 at 9am PT/12pm ET through Friday, March 6, 2026 at 2pm PT/5pm ET.
After the submission period ends, BirdNote staff and guest judges will review all photo submissions and choose the top 20 photos in the General Bird Photography category for final voting via online public voting form, and BirdNote staff will choose the top 20 photos in the Conservation Actions category for judging by guest judges.
Public voting to choose the top three winners in the General Bird Photography category will open on Friday, March 20, 2026 at 9am PT/12pm ET and end on April 3rd, 2026 at 12pm PT/3pm ET.
Top three winners in the Conservation Actions category will be chosen by guest judges.
Winners will be announced on Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at BirdNote’s Virtual Event, as well as on BirdNote’s social media and weekly email newsletter on Friday, April 10, 2026. Stay tuned for more details about the event!
Entry categories
There are two categories – a General Bird Photography category, and, to celebrate BirdNote's "From Love to Action" campaign to inspire one million people to take action to help birds, a Conservation Actionscategory.
Eligible Photographs
Only one submission is allowed per category per person. If more than one photograph in a single category is submitted per person, BirdNote staff will choose the best photo from that person to include in final voting.
General Bird Photography
Photos in this category will depict birds in any natural setting. All levels of photography are welcome, including amateur and professional. Photographs must depict at least one bird and may not depict any human. There are no requirements for style, date taken, location or action. No panoramas or watermarks on the photograph will be accepted. Participants must practice responsible bird photography and ensure no birds are harmed, stressed or harassed by the photographer.
AI-generated images are not eligible. Normal processing and photo editing to enhance the original file is acceptable, including cropping, adjustments to color, white balance, tone, lighting levels and curves, shadows and highlights, saturation, contrast, sharpness, and moderate reduction of image noise.
Conservation Actions
Photos in this category will depict ways in which participants are helping birds. These could include but are not limited to:
- Photos of bird-friendly spaces, such as bird feeders, bird baths, or nesting boxes, or individuals creating these spaces
- People engaging in native plant gardening
- People participating in or hosting bird walks or cleanups
- People using eBird or contributing to citizen science
- Participation in any action on BirdNote's "From Love to Action" survey
In this category, each photo must be accompanied by a story, which will be considered heavily in the judging process for the Conservation Actions category. We're looking for photos that tell a story of people actively making the world a better place for birds.
Photographs must be submitted by the sole author and owner of the photograph. For photos that include faces of humans, all depicted individuals must grant permission for the photo to be submitted into this contest.
Judging
Judging to choose the top 20 finalists in the General Bird Photography category will be conducted by BirdNote staff and guest judges. Photos will be judged on quality, originality/creativity, composition, the story behind the photo and how well it speaks to BirdNote's mission of telling stories about the joy and wonder of birds. The top 3 winners in the General Bird Photography category will be decided by public voting.
Judging to choose the top 20 finalists in the Conservation Actions category will be conducted by BirdNote staff. The top 3 winners the Conservation Actions category will be determined by guest judges, and photos in the Conservation Actions category will be judged heavily on the story behind the photo.
BirdNote maintains full discretion over the rules and process of BirdNote's 2026 Photo Contest, to ensure fairness and integrity in the judging process.
Who may enter
- Photos submitted under the General Bird Photography category must be taken and submitted by individuals 18 years and older.
- Photos submitted under the Conservation Actions category can be taken and submitted by individuals 13 years of age or older, but participants ages 13-17 years old must have the permission of their parent/guardian to enter the Contest.
Participants in any physical location are encouraged to participate, although international shipping costs will be covered at BirdNote's sole discretion.
How to enter
It is free to participate in BirdNote’s 2026 Photo Contest. BirdNote is an independent nonprofit media production organization that relies on listener support to produce vivid, sound-rich stories about birds and the challenges they face - to inspire people around the world to care about birds and take steps to protect them. An optional donation will support BirdNote's ability to continue providing events and activities like the photo contest. No contribution is required to participate or win.
Acceptable file types
Participants may submit a jpg, jpeg, or png file. The maximum file size is 16mb.
How to vote
Public voting to choose the top three winners in the General Bird Photography category will open on Friday, March 20, 2026 at 9am PT/12pm ET and end on Friday, April 3, 2026 at 12pm PT/3pm ET. Anyone will be able to vote for their favorite photo in the General Bird Photography category through the voting link during the public voting period.
How your photograph will be used
By submitting your photo, participants grant BirdNote a non-exclusive worldwide royalty-free license and agree to allow BirdNote to use their photo(s) in perpetuity in BirdNote correspondences and promotional materials, including but not limited to: BirdNote website, email communications, social media, annual report, printed or digital calendars, physical mailings and other materials. For photos that include faces of humans, all individuals photographed agree to allow BirdNote to use their photo and likeness of all individuals depicted in the photo in all BirdNote materials and communications on a royalty-free basis and in perpetuity.
Prizes
Winners will be announced on Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at BirdNote’s Virtual Event, as well as on BirdNote’s social media and weekly email newsletter on Friday, April 10, 2026. Stay tuned for more details about the event!
The winners will be contacted via email after the event to coordinate delivery of their prize.
General Bird Photography Category
First Place
| Second Place
| Third Place
|
Conservation Actions Category
First Place
| Second Place
| Third Place
|
Thank you to our lead sponsor, Kowa Sporting Optics!
And, a special thank you to our supporting sponsors!
Meet our Guest Judges!
Melissa Groo is a conservation photographer and writer. Passionate about conveying the marvels of the natural world to diverse audiences, she sees photography as a powerful vehicle for storytelling. By capturing and sharing stories about individual wild animals, she hopes to raise awareness and change minds about not only the extrinsic beauty of animals, but also their intrinsic worth. She considers herself a “wildlife biographer” as much as a wildlife photographer.
A Sony Artisan of Imagery, Melissa is a Fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers, advisor to the Audubon Society on photography content and ethics, and an assignment photographer for Audubon and Smithsonian magazines, covering wildlife conservation stories. She helped create the Audubon Guide to Ethical Bird Photography and Videography.
Tara Lemezis is an award-winning wildlife photographer based in Portland, Oregon whose work has appeared in numerous books and publications celebrating birds and the natural world. She serves as the Assistant Director of Adult Education at Bird Alliance of Oregon, where she has built a career around connecting people to birds. When she’s not behind the camera, you’ll find her on a dog walk, geeking out about native plants, reading with her book club, or birding somewhere in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
Photo credit: Mallard Duck © Christopher Baker