Welcome to the BirdLife Australia Photography Awards!
Entries are now open
You have until 28 July to enter, but if you enter before 16 June you’ll be eligible for an early bird discount.
Remember – bird welfare always comes first, and no winning shot should see birds losing out! All entries must adhere to the BirdLife Photography Code of Ethics.
Key Dates
16 May: Competition opens
16 June: Early bird entries close
28 July: Competition deadline
Announcements
We have updated our Rules for 2025, so make sure you review these on the Rules section of the website before entering.
Sponsors and prizes
We’re thrilled to announce that Nikon Australia Nikon Australia and Lake Cowal Foundation are returning to sponsor the competition in 2025.
Thanks to their generous support, each category winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize – with a whopping $2,000 up for grabs for the winner of this year’s Portfolio Prize, courtesy of our Principal Sponsor, Nikon Australia.
This year, we’re also excited to announce our very first Award for BirdLife Australia Photographer of the Year. By entering any competition category, you’ll go in the running to win the Grand Prize – a Nikon Z 8 camera valued at $7,449 RRP.
Nikon Australia is an Australian leader in digital imaging and optics, and is the proud Principal Sponsor of the 2025 BirdLife Australia Photography Awards.
Lake Cowal Foundation (LCF) is a not-for-profit Environmental Trust, established to protect and enhance the nationally significant wetlands of Lake Cowal in New South Wales. LCF is a proud sponsor of the 2025 BirdLife Australia Photography Awards: Birds in the Landscape category.
Categories
We’re also back with another Special Theme: Diurnal Raptors.
Photos entered in this category must contain one or more raptor species – or birds of prey – that are active during the day.
You can also enter the following competition categories:
Backyard Birds
Bird Behaviour
Bird Portrait
Birds in Flight
Birds in the Landscape
Youth
Human Impact
Portfolio Prize
Good luck, and happy snapping!
Funds for bird conservation
Photographers aren’t the only winners in the competition! Your entry fees support BirdLife Australia’s bird conservation work.
In 2024, proceeds went to our work with migratory shorebirds.
Photo credits from top (left to right):
Scarlet Robin by Jen Tom
Brahminy Kite by Maggie Roberts Duffy
Eastern Curlew by Simon Blanchflower
Australian Magpie by Muneer Al Shanti
Fairy Tern by Claire Greenwell
Crested Tern by Craig Greer
Royal Penguin by Duade Paton
Black Swans by Russell Wiltshire
Spotted Harrier and a Brown Falcon by Martin Anderson
Crested Pigeon by Raz Brewer