OBA Monthly Photo Contest

August photo contest winners!

First Place
Pygmy Nuthatches by Jim Moodie

VOTE for your favorite photo in the September Contest

Pygmy-Nuthatch-Deschutes-Co

2nd Place

3rd Place

Semipalmated Plover in Clatsop County, by Owen Schmidt

Shoe (aka Tree) Swallows in Multnomah County, by Tom Crawford

How to enter the OBA September 2023 photo contest

Entries are accepted between September 1 and September 14 at 5:00 pm.
Photos must have been taken in Oregon.
Photos must have been taken in July, August, or September 2023.
To enter the contest, email one photo to contest administrator Ed McVicker at photocontest@oregonbirding.org. Please include in the email the species name, location, and your name. Do not insert signature or text into/on photo.
Photos must be wild birds listed on the Official Checklist of Oregon Birds or a new state bird likely to be admitted to the official list.
Birds should not be in-hand or otherwise in a non-natural situation.
Photos can be slightly edited (cropping and small lighting touch-ups)

Photo Contest Winners 2023

Short-eared Owls, Scappoose, Columbia Co., by Tom Myers

Northern Flicker in Deschutes County, photo by Margi Finch

Common Nighthawk in Harney County, by Bill Vollmer

Osprey in Lane County, by Allen Brooks

Pygmy Nuthatches in Deschutes County, by Jim Moodie

Photo Contest Winners 2022

Black Phoebe in Beaverton, photo by Miles McLandrich. Winner of the “bad photo” contest.

Northern Harrier at Nestucca Bay NWR in Tillamook County, photo by Amy Williams

Anna’s Hummingbird in Albany, photo by Albert Ryckman

Caspian Terns at Sunset Beach in Clatsop County, photo by Philip Kline

Sooty Grouse at Cache Mountain in Deschutes County, photo by Jim Greer

Violet-green Swallow at Hatfield Lake in Bend, photo by Jim Moodie

Photo Contest Winners 2021

Bohemian Waxwing in Joseph, photo by Gerald Meenaghan

Golden-crowned Kinglet in Multnomah County, photo by Ed McVicker

Short-eared Owl in the Willamette Valley, photo by Karen Rush

Great Grey Owl in Jackson County, photo by Marty Karlin

Barn Owl in Ashland, photo by Karl Schneck

Bushtit in Beaverton, photo by Steve Dimock

Brandt’s Cormorants at Yaquina Head, photo by Jan Knott

Common Nighthawk at Langell Valley in Klamath County, photo by Howard West

Juvenile Northern Flicker in Hillsboro, photo by Danielle Carrico

Common Nighthawk at Netarts, photo by Michael Krall

Ruddy and Black Turnstones (juveniles) at Seal Rock in Lincoln County, photo by Roy Lowe

Hooded Mergansers in Oregon City, photo by John Kistler

White-headed Woodpecker at Howard Prairie Lake in Jackson County, photo by Elliott Bury

Photo Contest Winners 2020

Northern Pintail, photo by Dan Kearl

Ruby-crowned Kinglet, photo by Jan Knott

Anna’s Hummingbird, photo by Nicole Roos

Yellow-rumped Warbler, by Tony Rush

Canada Goose with young, photo by John Kistler

Great Horned Owls, photo by Kim Chase

American Goldfinch, photo by John Kistler

Lazuli Bunting, photo by Karen Rush

Violet-green Swallow at Oregon City, photo by John Kistler

Brown-headed Cowbird in West Linn, photo by Jan Knott

Long-eared Owl at Page Springs Wilderness Trail in Harney County, photo by Gerald Meenaghan

Snowy Egret in Klamath County, photo by Howard West

Cedar Waxwing in Oregon City, photo by John Kistler

American Robin, photo by John Kistler

Photo Contest Winners 2019

Canada Jay, photo by Molly Sultany

Red-Tailed Hawk, photo by Karen Rush

Green Heron, photo by Karen H

Mourning Dove, photo by Jim Moodie

Western Grebes, photo by Howard West

Barred Owl, photo by Kenneth Goldman

Pied-billed Grebes, photo by Ryan Hooper

Rock Sandpiper, photo by Molly Sultany

Wood Ducks, photo by Albert Ryckman

Western Meadowlark, photo by Karl Schneck

Western Tanager, photo by Karen Rush

Bobolink, photo by Russ Smith

American White Pelican, photo by Nicole George

Western Grebes, photo by Howard West

Acorn Woodpecker, photo by Tony Rush

Pileated Woodpecker, photo by Diantha Knott

Contest Rules

- Contest submissions must be of wild birds listed on the Official Checklist of Oregon Birds or a new state bird likely to be admitted to the official list.
- While minor editing to crop or adjust lighting are acceptable, photographs with major modifications to the subject or background, or photo montages, will be rejected by the contest moderator, whose decision is final.
- You do not need to be an OBA member to submit a photo in the contest.
- You do not need to be an OBA member to vote in the contest.
- Submission period for photos will be the first two weeks of every month, and must be received by our Contest Coordinator by 5 pm on the 14th day. Submitted photos will then be posted here for people to vote on.
- Once the voting is completed, the winning photo will be displayed as our website home-page image for the following month.
- When you submit a photo to the photo contest, you agree to allow OBA to display your photo on the OBA website.
- Photographers may only submit one photo per contest (monthly).
- Voters may only vote for one photo per contest (monthly).
- Photo must have been taken in Oregon and within the current month or two months prior (although we sometimes make exceptions to the date range rule for special, themed contests). For example, only photos from March, April, and May will be accepted for May’s contest.
- Please include the species name, location, date the photo was taken, and your name and email address.

Audubon’s guide to ethical bird photography.