Competitions · Humanities and writing · Songbird Art Contest
The Songbird Art Contest.
Hand-drawn only - digital work and anything AI-generated is ineligible by rule. Draw one of five named North American songbirds, and do not sign the front. Open to students from five to eighteen.
Read this first
Draw the right bird.
Entries must feature one of five designated species. The Chinese names given for four of them are loose, and one is wrong at family level - so work from the English names and a reference photograph, not from a translation.
Brown-headed Nuthatch is the one to watch
It is rendered in the source as a parrotbill, which is a completely different bird with a different body shape and beak. A student drawing from the Chinese name would produce an ineligible entry.
Check the other four too
American Goldfinch, Cerulean Warbler, Scarlet Tanager and Scissor-tailed Flycatcher are all given approximate Chinese names. Identify each from the English name and a field guide before starting.
Copying a photograph is disqualifying
Photographs, videos and other artwork - including past Songbird Art entries - may be used as inspiration only. Any exact reproduction is disqualified.
And the species list changes
The five are the designated species for a given year. Confirm the current list with the organiser before starting work.
At a glance
What the contest is.
The Songbird Art Contest is run by Wildlife Forever, a non-profit conservation charity founded in 1987 and based in White Bear Lake, Minnesota. It follows the model of the organisation’s long-running State-Fish Art Contest and takes its inspiration from the legacy of the artist and conservationist Jay Norwood Darling.
- Who can enter
- Students aged 5 to 18
- Four age groups
- Kindergarten to grade 3, grades 4 to 6, grades 7 to 9, grades 10 to 12
- What you submit
- An original hand-drawn artwork, plus a piece of creative writing
- Creative writing
- Not required for kindergarten to grade 3, and not required for international entrants
- Medium
- Hand-drawn only. Digital media and AI-generated work are not eligible
- Size
- No larger than 11 by 17 inches and no more than 2 inches thick. Landscape or portrait
- Signature
- Nothing on the front - no signature, no initials. A signature on the back is allowed
- Text in the artwork
- Not permitted unless it belongs to the scene, such as a name painted on a boat
- How international entrants submit
- Digitally. Mailed work cannot be returned
- Deadline
- 30 November
- Judging
- December, alongside bird biologists, local birding groups and partner organisations
- Results
- 5 January, on National Bird Day
Why it exists
The numbers behind the brief.
The contest is a conservation education project first. Knowing what it is about makes the writing component much easier to do well.
A 29% decline since the 1960s
North American songbird numbers are down roughly 29% against historical averages, with around three billion birds lost each year and the number of species falling.
529 species in decline
Recent research shows sharp population declines across 529 bird species observed throughout the Western Hemisphere.
Some species down by more than half
Declines of over 50% in certain species are linked to habitat loss and chemical use. Several kinds of songbird are threatened or facing extinction.
Which is what the artwork is for
The organisers’ stated position is that no single factor explains the losses, and that public awareness and education are needed more than ever. The contest is how they generate both.
The rules
Six requirements, and three of them disqualify.
These are short and absolute. Read the first three before starting anything.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Hand-drawn, original work | Digital media and AI-generated artwork are not eligible. This is unusual - most art competitions now permit digital work - and it is stated as an eligibility rule, not a preference |
| No exact copying | Photographs, videos and artwork including previous entries may be used as inspiration. Anything identical to a photograph or another work is disqualified |
| One of the designated species | The artwork must feature one or more of the songbirds named for that year |
| Size | No larger than 11 by 17 inches, no thicker than 2 inches, in either orientation |
| Nothing on the front | No signature and no initials on the face of the artwork. Sign the back instead |
| No lettering | Text may not appear in the artwork unless it belongs to what is depicted - the name on a boat, for instance |
The no-signature rule is the one entrants most often break. It exists so judging is anonymous, and it applies to initials as well as full signatures.
The writing
One page, and only for some entrants.
The creative writing component is where the conservation learning is actually assessed - but it does not apply to everyone.
One side of one page
No longer. Printed is preferred, with the entrant’s name, year group and location on the back rather than the front.
It has to show real knowledge
The writing should demonstrate knowledge of, connection to, or understanding of the chosen songbird. Researching the species properly is the work here.
It may be illustrated
Decoration and illustration are allowed, but the organisers are explicit that the words should remain the main focus.
Not required for international entrants
Nor for students in kindergarten to grade 3. International entrants may submit the artwork alone - though writing it anyway is a good way to make the artwork better.
Submitting
International entrants submit digitally.
There are two submission routes, and only one of them is really available from outside North America.
Upload the scan
Complete the online entry form, choose the upload option, attach the scanned artwork and submit. The organisers state that all international students should submit digitally.
Or post the original
Complete the form, choose the mail option, print the entrant’s name clearly on the back and post it. The postmark date counts. Mailed work is not returned.
If posting, pack it flat
A flat cardboard box or a sturdy card envelope. The organisers ask entrants to minimise packaging and to avoid boxes and plastic filler.
And never post it framed
Framed artwork, especially behind glass, should not be sent. Glass breaks in transit.
Preparation
How Hanlin prepares an entry.
A specified species, a size limit and a no-copying rule together make this a genuine observational drawing exercise.
Identifying the bird properly
Get the species right from the English name and a field guide. Plumage, posture, beak shape and size all differ, and the judges include bird biologists who will notice.
Drawing from several references
Copying one photograph is disqualifying. Working from several references, plus observation where possible, produces both an eligible entry and a better drawing.
Learning the conservation story
Habitat loss, chemical use, migration routes. It informs the writing and it usually improves the picture - a bird placed in a real habitat reads differently.
And checking the mechanics before sending
Size within 11 by 17 inches, nothing on the front, no stray lettering, scanned cleanly. These are the cheap ways an otherwise strong entry is lost.
Talk to an advisor
Hanlin does not coach Songbird Art Contest. Ask what it does coach.
The services below are real, but not for this competition. An advisor will say plainly whether there is a route here and what is worth entering instead.
Competition entry and planning
Which competitions suit this student, in what order, and by when - then we handle the registration, including the ones that can only be entered through a school or a centre.
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Taught by full-time subject tutors, on a course tier chosen by placement paper rather than by year group.
International curriculum tutoring
IB, AP, A-Level, IGCSE and the US high school curriculum, taught alongside school and timed around the exam calendar.
Competition past papers, free
A large library of past papers, mark schemes and syllabus breakdowns across every competition on this site. No charge and no enrolment.
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Or call +86 21 6352 6630FAQ
The Songbird Art Contest, briefly answered.
What students and families ask before entering.
Who can enter?
Students aged 5 to 18, judged in four age groups: kindergarten to grade 3, grades 4 to 6, grades 7 to 9, and grades 10 to 12.
Can I submit digital artwork?
No. Entries must be original hand-drawn work. Digital media and AI-generated artwork are not eligible.
Can I draw from a photograph?
You may use photographs, videos and other artwork - including past entries - as inspiration. Anything identical to a photograph or another work is disqualified.
Which birds can I draw?
One or more of the songbirds designated for that year. A recent list was the American Goldfinch, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Cerulean Warbler, Scarlet Tanager and Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. Identify each from the English name and a field guide - several of the Chinese names in circulation are inaccurate, and one names a different bird family altogether.
What size can the artwork be?
No larger than 11 by 17 inches and no more than 2 inches thick, in landscape or portrait.
Can I sign my artwork?
Not on the front - no signature and no initials. You may sign the back. Text may not appear in the artwork unless it belongs to the scene.
Do I have to write something as well?
The creative writing component is not required for students in kindergarten to grade 3, nor for international entrants. Where it applies it is one side of one page, showing knowledge of and connection to the chosen bird.
How do I submit from outside North America?
Digitally. Complete the online entry form, choose the upload option and attach the scanned artwork. Mailed work cannot be returned.
When is the deadline?
30 November. Judging takes place in December alongside bird biologists, local birding groups and partner organisations, and winners are announced on 5 January, National Bird Day.
What do winners receive?
The published material shows a certificate and lists past winners but does not set out an award schedule. Ask the organiser what the current awards are.
Who runs it?
Wildlife Forever, a non-profit conservation charity founded in 1987 and based in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, which funds fish, bird, wildlife and habitat conservation projects across North America.
Related
Other art and conservation competitions.
What students enter alongside this one.
Songbird Art enquiries
Hand-drawn, one named bird, nothing on the front.
The rules are short and absolute, and the most common way to lose an entry is drawing the wrong bird from a bad translation. Tell us the student’s age and what they like to draw, and an advisor will help pick the species and plan the work before November.