Many famous ornithologists were bird artists when they were young, so perhaps you can be the next John James Audubon, Roger Tory Peterson or David Allen Sibley!

A winner will be picked from each of four age divisions: primary (pre-K-second grades), elementary (third-fifth), middle school (sixth-eighth) and high school. One winner will be awarded the grand prize: Their artwork will appear on the 2024 Youth Birding Competition T-shirt and they’ll receive a $100 Amazon gift card. The three other first-place winners will each receive a $60 Amazon gift card. New this year, runners-up in each age division will be awarded a $40 Amazon gift card.

Entering is easy. Participants must draw or paint a native Georgia bird that has not been previously featured on a Youth Birding Competition T-shirt (more details at georgiawildlife.com/YBCTshirtArtContest). Artwork must be flat (not 3D) and may be created on paper or canvas. To enter the contest, email a full-frame JPG photo from a camera or smartphone of the artwork by Feb. 1, 2024, to Linda.May@dnr.ga.gov.

Be sure to provide the participant’s name, school, age, grade level, city, phone number and e-mail address, and the species name of the bird depicted in the artwork.

The illustrated bird must be a wild species that is native to Georgia. Artwork of exotic or domesticated species (such as European starlings, pigeons, yellow ducks, peacocks and parrots) will be disqualified. Draw or paint the bird’s features as accurately as possible. A simple background that provides habitat context is good to include, but make sure the bird stands out well and is the focus of the artwork. Also keep in mind that deep, contrasting colors scan best for a T-shirt.

Only one entry per person is allowed, and it must be the youth’s original artwork. Participation in the Youth Birding Competition, scheduled for April 20, is encouraged but not required to submit artwork for the T-shirt Art Contest.

In the 2024 Youth Birding Competition, teams will try to see or hear as many bird species as possible throughout Georgia in a 24-hour period during the contest dates. Details, including how to register a team will be posted later this year at georgiawildlife.com/YBC. You can also contact competition coordinator Tim Keyes at (912) 262-3191 or tim.keyes@dnr.ga.gov.

For more information on the T-shirt Art Contest, visit georgiawildlife.com/YBCTshirtArtContest. You can also contact art contest coordinator Linda May at (706) 319-0211 or linda.may@dnr.ga.gov.