Welcome to the BirdLife Australia Photography Awards

The BirdLife Australia Photography Awards are back in 2026 – and entries open 7 April. 

Remember – bird welfare always comes first, and no winning shot should see birds losing out! All entries must adhere to our Ethical Bird Photography Guidelines.

Announcements

The 2026 BirdLife Australia Photography Awards will run between 7 April and 13 July! Get your entries in before 25 April to receive an Early Bird discount.

Sponsors and prizes

We’re thrilled to announce that Nikon Australia Nikon Australia and Lake Cowal Foundation are returning to sponsor the competition in 2026.

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.

Thank you to our sponsors

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: Australian Finches.

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!

Find out more information about each category

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):
Bath Time by Dave Wetherall
Stare Down by Aaryan Dhakal
Preening Ones Feathers by Angela Farnsworth
Wings of Grace by Milind Gupte
Red Browed Finches by Eugene Lee
Spinifex Pigeon by Raz Brewer