BirdNote’s 20th Anniversary Photo Contest: Rules and Requirements

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VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE PHOTO

BirdNote's 20th Anniversary Photo Contest is now closed, but you can vote for your favorite photo in the General Bird Photography category here. Voting closes on Friday, March 21st at 5pm PST/8pm EST.

BirdNote is celebrating 20 Years of Storytelling! In honor of this special milestone, we're celebrating with our annual photo contest that showcases photos of birds from our global community of listeners.

Read on to learn how to submit your photo for consideration in the General Bird Photography category or Conservation Actions category in the contest.

Entry Period

BirdNote’s 20th Anniversary Photo Contest will run from Monday February 3, 2025 at 11am PST/2pm EST through Friday, March 21, 2025 at 5pm PST/8pm EST. The deadline for submitting photos is Friday, February 28, 2025 at 5pm PST/8pm EST.

Photo submissions will be accepted from Monday, February 3, 2025 at 11am PST/2pm EST thru Friday, February 28, 2025 at 5pm PST/8pm EST. After all photos are submitted, 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 voting form.

Public voting to choose the top three winners in the General Bird Photography category will open on Friday, March 7, 2025 at 9am PST/12pm EST and end on Friday, March 21, 2025 at 5pm PST/8pm EST.

Top three winners in the Conservation Actions category will be chosen by the BirdNote team and guest judges.

Winners will be announced on March 26, 2025 at 12pm PST/3pm EST at BirdNote’s 20th Anniversary Virtual Event, as well as on BirdNote’s social media and weekly email newsletter on Friday, March 28, 2025.

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.

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.

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 for the top 3 winners the Conservation Actions category will be conducted by members of the BirdNote team and 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 20th Anniversary 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

Visit this link to submit your photo for consideration.

It is free to participate in BirdNote’s 20th Anniversary 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.

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. 

Acceptable file types

Participants may submit a jpg, jpeg, or png file. The maximum file size is 16mb.

How to vote

Voting will open on Friday, March 7, 2025 at 11am PST/2pm EST and end on Friday, March 21, 2025 at 5pm PST/8pm EST. 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. Click here to vote for your favorite photo.

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

The winners will be announced live on March 26, 2025 at 12pm PST/3pm EST at BirdNote’s 20th Anniversary Virtual Event and on BirdNote’s social media and weekly email newsletter on Friday, March 28, 2025. The winners will be contacted via email to coordinate delivery of their prize.

Meet our Guest Judges

Walter Kitundu

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Walter Kitundu is a Tanzanian-American multidisciplinary artist and educator. His eclectic art practice includes sculpture, sound installations, and large scale public art works that address place, history, nature, and community. Kitundu also builds extraordinary musical instruments and mechanical devices when he isn’t obsessively documenting the natural world as a bird photographer. Kitundu is the director of Kitundu Studio, which focuses on the development and installation of public art works. He received a MacArthur Fellowship in 2008.

Jen Goellnitz

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A lifelong lover of birds and a native of northeastern Ohio, Jen Goellnitz’s landscape and nature photographs have been published or featured by a wide variety of organizations, including BirdNote, the Cleveland Metroparks, the American Battlefield Trust, the Gettysburg Foundation, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Jen has a BA from Baldwin-Wallace College, where she majored in history and philosophy, and a JD from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, where she was an editor for the Cleveland State Law Review. When she is not tucked behind a Nikon with a long lens attached, Jen can be found working as an attorney for a small consumer law firm. She enjoys reading, hiking, and, of course, birding.

Roger Friedman

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Roger Friedman is a retired podiatrist living in Northeast Ohio. Several years ago, he embarked on a never-ending quest for the perfect bird photograph. What began as a hobby, capturing birds in his backyard, evolved into a dedicated pursuit of perfection, which has earned him the admiration and respect of both photographers and bird enthusiasts alike.

Fascinated by the ordinary and driven to make it extraordinary, Roger finds joy in photographing local birds, seeking to illuminate their inherent beauty. Whether it's a familiar Cardinal perched nearby or a stunning Blackburnian on its migratory journey, he skillfully captures the essence of each bird, showcasing their unique personalities and behaviors. The by-product of precision and patience, Roger’s photographs reflect his remarkable artistry and unwavering passion for bird photography.

His photographs have been featured in numerous calendars, including those sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited and Birds of BirdNote. He is a featured lecturer on bird photography techniques, and in 2025, his photograph of a hummingbird clearwing moth was selected for the Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp, issued by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. His book, "Backyard Bird Photography: A Guide to Capturing Nature at Home," is slated to be published in Spring/Summer of 2025.

When not photographing birds or his five grandchildren, Roger can be found at the piano, creating content for his jazz piano instructional channel.