WildBird's photo contest!

The entry form and rules for this year's photo contest appear in the March/April issue, now on newsstands. (Subscribers began receiving their copies near Jan. 23.) Every year, we receive questions about the rules even though we do our best to clarify the details. For example:

Q: Do the photos have to be taken within the last year to be eligible for this year's contest?
A: The contest rules say nothing about time constraints on the photos' creation. You can submit images taken 20 years ago -- as long as you send a print or digital version of the slide/transparency. (We no longer accept slides and transparencies.)

Q: If I write for WildBird, can I submit entries for the photo contest?
A: Yes, freelance contributors -- writers and photographers -- can participate in the contest. Only WildBird and BowTie Inc. employees cannot submit entries.

Q: Do you have a minimum age for participants?
A: The contest rules say nothing about a minimum age. Children and teenagers are welcome to submit entries.

Q: Why, if I'm submitting a digital image, do I have to send a print with it?
A: The initial evaluations involve prints only. If your print meets the judges' criteria, then they will evaluate your digital image onscreen.

For this year's contest, the postmark deadline is May 15. Don't miss out on the chance for one of 16 prizes, including a Canon EOS 50D!

Jim Arnold of Redding, Calif., won first place in the 2008 contest's backyard category with this Nuttall's Woodpecker. Backyard entries must show a feeder, birdbath or nestbox.