Ithaca, NY—Calling all shutterbug bird lovers: The BirdSpotter Photo Contest is backalways a popular feature of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Project FeederWatch. The contest runs through March 12, with many great prizes available for biweekly winners and final Grand Prize winners. The contest is sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited.  

"We have a specific theme for each two-week period," explains FeederWatch leader Emma Greig. "The category right now is 'Birds with Food or at the Feeder.' In other words, show us your hungry birds!"  

The first themed submission period closes on November 21. Photo themes coming up are Spectacular Sparrows, Cardinals and Friends, Beautiful Blues and Grays, Birds in Flight, Splash of Sunshine, Boring is Beautiful, and Potpourri–Anything goes!

Project FeederWatch is a winter-long, citizen-science project from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Bird Studies Canada. Participants report their feeder visitors to help scientists learn more about backyard birds.

For the BirdSpotter contest, a People's Choice and a Judges' Choice photo will be selected every other week. Photographers will receive prizes from the Cornell Lab and contest sponsor, Wild Birds Unlimited. Voting for Grand Prize winners will take place from February 29 to March 12.

The beautiful blend of colors on a Cedar Waxwing earned Laura Frazier of West Virginia a spot as one of last season’s Grand Prize winners. She said, "I couldn't resist going to take some photos of them as they are such beautiful birds that I don’t get to see very often."

See all the winners from last season's BirdSpotter contest.

"Those who do participate in FeederWatch have other opportunities to win by sharing a bird-related tip, story, or memory," says Greig. "After recording FeederWatch data online, follow the 'Enter to Win' prompt and answer the question for that two-week period. A winner will be randomly chosen from among the responses and their story posted on the FeederWatch blog."

Visit FeederWatch.org to learn more about the photo contest or sign up for the project in the U.S. or Canada.

 

Download winning bird images or other bird photos to accompany your story. These images are protected by copyright and use is permitted only within stories about the content of this release. Redistribution or any other use is prohibited without express written permission of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology or the copyright owner.