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GB · Moderate entry · 2027 · verified

Bird Photographer of the Year 2027 (BPOTY 12)

Bird Photographer of the Year Limited birdpoty.com ↗

Closes Dec 13, 2026 · D − 62
Top prize $3.9K grand prize
Fee Moderate 35 GBP for up to 25 images
AI policy No AI rendering denoise / sharpen ok
Categories 10 8 single · 2 multi-image

Worth entering? $3.9K top prize against 35 GBP for up to 25 images. The jury read and the rights terms below are what decide it — not the prize math. Jury read ↓ · Rights & disqualifiers ↓

Submit-Safe · before you pay the entry fee Read the fine print

Read the fine print first — Bird Photographer of the Year 2027 (BPOTY 12) has 6 hard disqualifiers and demanding rights terms.

What this contest takes

You keep copyright, but the licence reaches past promoting the contest — wider uses, sub-licensing or passing it to others. Read the licence clause before entering.

  • Copyright stays with the entrant. Rule text: "You agree to grant Bird Photographer of the Year a non-exclusive, worldwide, irrevocable licence, for the full period of any intellectual property rights (including all moral rights) in the Competition entry [...] to use, display, publish, transmit, copy, edit, alter, store, re-format and sub-licence the Competition entry [...] for any purpose connected with the Competition" — including book, calendar, merchandise, exhibitions, marketing and promotion of future competitions. Awarded exhibition prints may be auctioned for charity with no proceeds to the photographer.
  • Duration: perpetual (full copyright term), irrevocable, sub-licensable
  • You keep your copyright
  • Credited when used

What disqualifies you

No AI rendering, no composites, no stacked scenes — the image must be true to the moment captured.

  • Age minimum Adult competition: 18+ on 13 Dec 2026. Youth competition (17 and under) is free, up to 10 images. “The Adult Competition is open to individuals that are aged 18 years or above on the 13th December 2026.”
  • Capture date after Images taken before 1 January 2021 are not eligible. “Images are not permitted to be entered into the Competition that: [...] were taken before 1st January 2021.”
  • Ai generation AI tools are banned for adjustments and generation, except Denoise and Sharpening. No composites, sky swaps or clone/object removal (dust spots excepted); HDR, stitched panoramas, focus stacking and in-camera multiple exposures are allowed. Shortlisted entrants must supply RAW files (or untouched JPEGs) and possibly frames before/after. “The use of AI-based tools, for adjustments or image generation, is strictly prohibited in the competition, with the exception of Denoise and Sharpening tools.”
  • Image format No live bait, no domesticated, captive or restrained animals (except for conservation reporting), no tape lures or decoys; other lures such as seed must be declared in the caption. “Images are not permitted to be entered into the Competition that: have required the use of live bait; feature domesticated animals; feature captive or restrained animals, animal models, and/or any animal being exploited for profit unless for the purposes of reporting on a conservation story”
  • Copyright ownership Entrant must be the sole copyright owner of every submission. “You must be the sole owner of the copyright of all submissions to the Competition.”
Closes Dec 13, 2026 · D−62 35 GBP for up to 25 images Upload spec: Files: JPGMax 2000px long edgeUnder 2 MBCaption requiredNo watermarks
Check your photo against these exact rules — free → No account · reads the editing line, the AI clause and the file spec · rules human-verified
№ 02 · The editorial read

What this jury looks for

Specialist bird-photography competition run by Bird Photographer of the Year Limited, with a conservation mission (charity partner Birds on the Brink). Strict field ethics: captions must be accurate and disclose lures, nest work and permissions; RAW authentication at shortlist. Stated priorities: field_ethics > bird_character_and_behaviou…

The full editorial read continues with past-winner pattern, fee-to-prize value, rights translated, and three comparable competitions. Studio reads the rest.

See Studio — €11/mo → Or one-shot read for €14 →

Categories

Best Portrait

Single

Captures the character of the subject bird and its distinctive features — detailed, classic pose.

Birds in the Environment

Single

The relationship between a bird and its surroundings — e.g. a swan on a lake at dawn, an eagle flying through mountains.

Bird Behaviour

Single

Bird behaviour — lekking, courtship displays, song.

Birds in Flight

Single

Birds on the wing — frozen action or creative motion blur.

Black and White

Single

Bird photography in black and white, shot in-camera or converted in post.

Urban Birds

Single

Birds alongside man-made objects, buildings and other urban settings.

Creative Perspectives

Single

Artistic bird images — minimalism, creative compositions, in-camera multiple exposures, textures, high/low key. No compositing.

Conservation (Single Image)

Single

A strong bird conservation story told in one image.

Portfolio Award

Portfolio · up to 6 photos (min 6)

Six-image bird collection showing technical control and creativity (costs 6 credits).

Conservation Award

Portfolio · up to 6 photos (min 6)

Up to six bird images, optionally with text, telling a conservation story (costs 6 credits).

F Format requirements 1 spec

bpoty_entry

  • File types: jpg
  • Max long edge: 2000px
  • Max size: 2.0 MB
  • No watermarks
  • Caption required
E Eligibility 5 rules
  • Adult competition: 18+ on 13 Dec 2026. Youth competition (17 and under) is free, up to 10 images. hard

    “The Adult Competition is open to individuals that are aged 18 years or above on the 13th December 2026.”

  • Images taken before 1 January 2021 are not eligible. hard

    “Images are not permitted to be entered into the Competition that: [...] were taken before 1st January 2021.”

  • AI tools are banned for adjustments and generation, except Denoise and Sharpening. No composites, sky swaps or clone/object removal (dust spots excepted); HDR, stitched panoramas, focus stacking and in-camera multiple exposures are allowed. Shortlisted entrants must supply RAW files (or untouched JPEGs) and possibly frames before/after. hard

    “The use of AI-based tools, for adjustments or image generation, is strictly prohibited in the competition, with the exception of Denoise and Sharpening tools.”

  • No live bait, no domesticated, captive or restrained animals (except for conservation reporting), no tape lures or decoys; other lures such as seed must be declared in the caption. hard

    “Images are not permitted to be entered into the Competition that: have required the use of live bait; feature domesticated animals; feature captive or restrained animals, animal models, and/or any animal being exploited for profit unless for the purposes of reporting on a conservation story”

  • Entrant must be the sole copyright owner of every submission. hard

    “You must be the sole owner of the copyright of all submissions to the Competition.”

Jury context

Specialist bird-photography competition run by Bird Photographer of the Year Limited, with a conservation mission (charity partner Birds on the Brink). Strict field ethics: captions must be accurate and disclose lures, nest work and permissions; RAW authentication at shortlist.

Priorities: field ethics bird character and behaviour technical control creativity conservation story

Tone: ethical fieldcraft behaviour habitat authentic

Avoid: live bait captive birds composites sky replacement ai adjustments clone removal

Prizes

Bird Photographer of the Year: £3,000. Gold in each of the 8 main categories: £500; Silver: £250; Bronze: £100 camera-equipment voucher. Portfolio Award and Conservation Award: £500 each. Young BPOTY: vouchers. Winners published in the Collection 12 book and touring exhibition.

Exhibition Publication Gear

R Rights & licensing what you grant the organizer
What you grant
Copyright stays with the entrant. Rule text: "You agree to grant Bird Photographer of the Year a non-exclusive, worldwide, irrevocable licence, for the full period of any intellectual property rights (including all moral rights) in the Competition entry [...] to use, display, publish, transmit, copy, edit, alter, store, re-format and sub-licence the Competition entry [...] for any purpose connected with the Competition" — including book, calendar, merchandise, exhibitions, marketing and promotion of future competitions. Awarded exhibition prints may be auctioned for charity with no proceeds to the photographer.
Duration
perpetual (full copyright term), irrevocable, sub-licensable
Exclusivity
none
Attribution
Required
Copyright retained by photographer
Yes

Before you enter — quick answers

Is Bird Photographer of the Year 2027 (BPOTY 12) free to enter?
Bird Photographer of the Year 2027 (BPOTY 12) is not free: 35 GBP for up to 25 images. Check the organizer's page for the full fee rules and any waivers.
Are AI-generated images allowed in Bird Photographer of the Year 2027 (BPOTY 12)?
No. Bird Photographer of the Year 2027 (BPOTY 12) requires biological and factual fidelity: AI rendering or generated content is not allowed, and the scene must be true to what was photographed.
When is the Bird Photographer of the Year 2027 (BPOTY 12) deadline?
Bird Photographer of the Year 2027 (BPOTY 12) closes on Dec 13, 2026 (in 62 days).
How do I know if my photo is eligible for Bird Photographer of the Year 2027 (BPOTY 12)?
Read your photograph against Bird Photographer of the Year 2027 (BPOTY 12)'s published rules — the editing line, the AI clause, and the file requirements — free and without an account with WinPhoto's eligibility check. It tells you whether your image is eligible before you pay the entry fee.