There are a total of five modules included in the Young Birder of the Year Program to accommodate a broad range of interests in young birders. Participants may do as many or as few of the modules as they choose. Finalists are selected for each of the five modules in two age categories: 10–13 years and 14–18 years. In addition, we will award the title of 2027 Young Birder of the Year in each age division. You do not have to be in the running for the Young Birder of the Year to participate in the program.

To qualify for the overall award of the title Young Birder of the Year:

1. Complete BOTH of the Major Modules –

Field Notebook AND Conservation/Community Leadership

OR

2. Complete ONE of the Major Modules AND TWO of the Supporting Modules –

►Illustration ►Writing ►Photography

Click on the tabs below for detailed INSTRUCTIONS and ENTRY SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS for each module.

Field Notebook – Major Module

What does keeping a field notebook mean to you?

To put it simply, a field notebook is a tool for recording field observations. However, everyone birds in their own way, and the notes and observations we make in the field are just as varied as the birds are. You might use eBird on your phone, or you might want to avoid using your phone at all. You might draw sketches, or record audio, or spend an hour getting the perfect photograph, or wander off and look at dragonflies for a while. Regardless of how you bird, keeping a field notebook helps you record your sightings, trains you to pay closer attention to the birds around you, and gives you opportunities to practice new observational skills.

We have provided basic instructions on what to include, but consider these instructions a central frame on which you can build and grow. What your field notebook looks like at the end of the program is up to you.

Submissions will be evaluated not on perfection, but on expression of each young birder’s experience in the field. Click here to see the rubric that the Field Notebook mentors will use during submission review. These rubrics are intended to provide guidance & clarity on what the mentors are looking for. Participants and their projects will not receive a grade or a score, but they will receive individualized feedback to support their continued learning and growth.

General Instructions:

1. For the 2027 program, the submission instructions have been updated, but the instructions for the Field Notebook & eBird entries have not changed. Please read the updated submission instructions carefully. Any questions can be directed to Slack or ybyp@aba.org.

2. At the end of the module, you will be submitting 5 entries, with one entry per one birding outing. Your entries may be all traditional field notebook entries, or may be a mix of traditional field notebook & digital eBird checklists. If you submit a mix of traditional entries & digital checklists, at least 2 of your entries MUST be traditional field notebooks. For example, you could submit 2 traditional field notebook entries and 3 eBird checklists, 5 traditional field notebook entries, or some combination in between.

(If you are wondering why you can’t submit 5 eBird checklists, the answer is very simple: we want you to try pen and paper a few times and see what you think!)

3. If you are in the 10-13 age group: Per eBird’s Terms of Use, birders under the age of 13 may not use eBird’s services. We understand that many of you may already be using eBird with adult supervision or through family accounts. If you would like to submit eBird checklists, please do so with adult supervision. If you would prefer not to use eBird, simply submit traditional field notebook entries.

4. After your entries have been completed, write an introspective essay summarizing/reflecting/expanding on what you learned through the process of keeping a field notebook over the season. If you submitted a mix of traditional & digital entries, include your thoughts on pen-and-paper vs. eBird. What did you think? Did you have a preference between the two methods? How were they similar, or different? Your essay should be no more than three (3) pages. Proofread and spellcheck your essay.

Mandatory Essay Format
Font: Cambria 12-pt. font size
Spacing: 18-pt. (1½-space) vertical spacing
Margins: 1-inch margins

Instructions for Traditional Field Notebook Entries:
  1. With your registration, you will receive a 8.5 x 5.5 mixed media pad and Micron pen. You may use a different notebook as long as it is similar in size, and you may use another writing tool as long as it is smudge-proof and easy to read.
  2. For each Field Notebook entry, go birding and write your notes down while you are in the field. Once complete, the entry in your physical notebook should be at least three to five (3-5) notebook pages long. All entries must be made between the start date and end date of the Young Birder of the Year Mentoring Program.
  3. Although the module only requires submission of 5 entries, the more you use your field notebook, the more you’ll get out of it! Consistency is key, both for getting more comfortable with taking notes and for building your birding skills. For the best Field Notebook experience, use your field notebook as often as you can, and then select your favorite entries for submission.
  4. Each record must include:
    • The date of the birding excursion.
    • Start & end time.
    • Location (and distance traveled, if possible).
    • A clearly written list of all of the species seen (including the common ones!).
    • Your best attempt at counting the number of individuals seen.

If it is helpful to you, feel free to use this eBird Template as a guideline. 

  1. If you’re using banding codes to list species in your notebook, double-check that the codes are correct. Some of those codes are misleading!
  2. In addition to the required information in #4, you may add other observations and details, such as:
    • Nonbird observations, like mammals, insects, and wildflowers.
    • Sketches of birds, other wildlife, or plants.
    • Notes of interesting or helpful field marks.
    • Drawings or descriptions of interesting behaviors you observe, like bathing, displaying, or foraging.
    • Drawings or descriptions of the habitat where you found specific birds.
    • Questions you could research later. For example: Why was a group of crows mobbing a Great-horned Owl?
    • Descriptions of bird songs/calls. 

This is not an exhaustive list. If something stands out to you in the field, add it to your entry!

  1. Be descriptive and thoughtful with your notes. Show and tell the mentors what you really see, hear, and learn.
  2. Once you are home, you may add content to your field journaling. This extra content is not required, but if you like, you could add details or color to your sketches, transcribe a recorded voice note, or go online and find some references about a cool behavior you observed. 

Whatever you do add, make note of it for the YBY Mentors so that they understand your process! For example, “I pencil-sketched this molting Turkey Vulture based on my observations in the field. When I got back home, I numbered the remiges and added color.”

  1. Remember: this is the Field Notebook module, not the Illustration module. Your field entries do not have to be flawless works of art. In fact, it’s very likely they’ll be a bit messy – you might erase or cross out sketches until you have one you’re happy with, or you might correct an identification when you realize you were wrong, or any number of other “imperfections.” These “imperfections” are all learning moments and opportunities to grow as birders. Embrace them!
  2. REPEAT STEPS #1 – 9 on a minimum of 2 field excursions over the course of the program period.
  3. Here are 2 samples of Field Notebook entries from previous young birders for inspiration:

Cecilia Lewis – Excursion 1, Algonkian Park, 1/6/24

Cedar Cunningham – Excursion 3, Helen McCabe Park, 1/2/24

Instructions for Digital eBird Checklist entries:
  1. eBird has revolutionized the way that people bird all over the world. These days, many, if not most, birders use eBird as their primary record-keeping tool. eBird was built to collect data for scientific use, and is not built to be a journal, but we can use it as a journal (while still collecting robust scientific data) with some thought & effort. For preliminary guidance on how to use eBird, see the eBird essentials course.
  2. For each eBird checklist, go birding and make a checklist while you are in the field. Be sure to use the “comments” section—both in the “Date and Effort” section and under the individual species. All entries must be made between the start date and end date of the Young Birder of the Year Mentoring Program. The maximum number of eBird checklists you can submit is 3, but you can also submit 2, 1, or 0 checklists, with the rest of the 5 outings being traditional Field Notebook entries. 
  3. Each checklist must include:
    • The date of the birding excursion.
    • Start & end time.
    • Location and distance traveled.
    • A list of all of the species seen.
    • Your best attempt at counting the number of individuals seen.
  1. In addition to this required information, you can build out your checklist with media and comments, such as:
    • Photos.
    • Audio recordings.
    • Notes of interesting or helpful field marks.
    • Interesting behaviors you observe, like birds bathing, displaying, or foraging.
    • Descriptions of the habitat where you found specific birds.
    • Questions you could research later. For example: Why was a group of crows mobbing a Great-horned Owl?

This is not an exhaustive list. If something stands out to you, add it to your comments!

  1. We encourage you to upload media, no matter what equipment you’re working with. Cellphone audio and photos can be quite good. Try “digibinning” or “digiscoping” by holding your phone up to your binoculars or scope. And a small, serviceable digital camera—much less expensive than a high-end binocular—can provide superb photos.
  2. Edit your media, too! Follow basic guidance at websites like eBird for cropping photos, amplifying sound, etc. Don’t go overboard. “Artistic” effects are great in some venues, but are not necessary on eBird checklists, where the goal is documenting what you saw. If you enjoy creating very artistic photographs, consider participating in the Photography module!
  3. Resist the urge to impress with overly long checklists. Prioritize quality (of observations and notes) over quantity (of species or rarities). On that note, be descriptive and thoughtful with your notes in the comments. Show and tell the mentors what you really see, hear, and learn.
  4. Every bird counts. It’s totally natural to want to emphasize the Peregrine Falcon perched on a high utility pole near your motel or campsite, but those counts of European Starlings and American Robins are every bit as valuable for the eBird database. Counting every single bird is fantastic natural history discipline, and with practice, it takes little time. Not to mention, often when you’re working through the flock of commoners, you find a rarity.
  5. The most important advice of all—Create a checklist that works for you!
  6. REPEAT STEPS #1 – 9 on a maximum of 3 field excursions over the course of the program period.
  7. If you shared any of your observations or checklists on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, or your local listserv, feel free to include links to those posts in the PDF that you submit (further instructions on submission below). Posting on social media is not required. 
  8. Here are a few sample eBird checklists from Birding Editor Ted Floyd (who has long been involved with the YB Mentoring Program):

https://ebird.org/checklist/S157098823 (11 species near home on Christmas morning)

https://ebird.org/checklist/S157770081 (9 species near home on New Year’s Day)

https://ebird.org/checklist/S173716016 (24 species around a hotel while traveling)

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS for Field Notebook Module:         

Create a Powerpoint, Keynote, or Google Slides presentation that can be exported into a PDF.

  1. Each traditional field notebook entry should begin with one slide labeled with Outing #, Date, and Location, followed by a set of slides with scans/photos of the outing’s field notebook pages. Each notebook page gets its own slide. If you are photographing your notebook, aim for even lighting (no big, dark shadows), keeping each page in focus, and cutting off as little of your text/imagery as possible. Feel free to edit photos/scans with cropping or slight adjustments of lighting/contrast so that pages are easy to read. Clear presentation of notebook pages will lead to more thorough evaluation of your work.
  2. Each eBird checklist should begin with one slide labeled with Outing #, Date, Location and a link to your eBird checklist, followed by a set of slides with screenshot(s) of the checklist. Use as many slides for the screenshots as needed so that the text is easily readable.
  3. REPEAT STEPS #1-2 for each of your birding excursions, for a total of 5 outings. If you submit a mix of traditional & digital entries, at least 2 of your entries MUST be traditional field notebook entries.
  4. If you shared any of your observations or checklists on social media such as Facebook, Instagram, or your local listserv, feel free to include links to those posts on the slide(s) about that outing. Posting on social media is not required. 
  5. Not only do we encourage YBYP participants to get mentoring, help, and resources from others, we expect it! Please include an Acknowledgements slide with a sentence or two describing who helped you and how. The Acknowledgements slide should also include an AI Disclosure that describes any AI use. If no AI was used, the disclosure will read: AI Disclosure: I did not use any AI tools or programs during creation of my submissions. If any AI was used, the disclosure will include what tool was used, what task the tool did, and what steps the participant took to double-check the AI program’s work. The disclosure will follow this structure: AI Disclosure: In my [module] submission, I used [insert name of AI tool] to [insert tasks]. I reviewed the work by [insert steps]. For more information on AI, see the Artificial Intelligence Principles.
  6. Export the completed digital presentation as a PDF.
  7. Create a PDF version of your introspective essay.
    Save your essay with the File Name Convention: YourName-Age-FormalEssay.PDF 

File Naming Convention for the Field Notebook Module:
YourName-Age-FieldNotebook (example: RachelCarson-16-FieldNotebook.PDF)

Field Notebook Submission Checklist

  1. Submit the PDF of your digital presentation.
  2. Submit the PDF of your introspective essay.
  3. Submit a one page PDF personal biography which includes a high-res photo of you, brief history of your birding, why you entered the program, and who has helped you along the way. (Only one biography needed per YBYP participant. You do not need to submit multiple biographies if you participate in multiple modules.) File Naming Convention for biography: YourName-Age-Biography
  4. Submit your files by midnight of Jan. 31, 2027. (As in: the night between Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, 2027.)

IMPORTANT NOTE:  If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification on Slack before the submission date. We want you to succeed and to enjoy participating.

Conservation and Community Leadership – Major Module 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Submit a brief description of what you intend to do for your project in the YBY Slack Workspace “module-cons-comm” channel by Sept. 30, 2026. ABA staff must approve Conservation and Community Leadership projects before you proceed. Approval and/or suggested changes will be given within a week of a proposal being posted. 

Jackie Kuroda successfully petitioned to have the Peregrine Falcon named the Official Bird of Rockford, IL as part of her 2021 project “Peregrine Falcon – An Official City Bird Initiative.”

The Conservation & Community Leadership instructions have been updated for the 2027 program. Please read the updated instructions carefully. Any questions can be directed to Slack or ybyp@aba.org.

Pick a project that will involve time in the field and will either a) further the conservation of a bird species and/or their habitat, and/or b) improve birding opportunities, or educate and inspire other birders. The strongest projects do both – conservation and community are deeply intertwined.

Here are a few possibilities, just to spark your imagination:

  • Create and monitor a nest box trail and give a talk about your findings to a local bird or garden club.
  • Create and monitor a bird-friendly habitat on public property—a public park, schoolyard, or community area. Give a presentation to the property managers to make sure it is maintained properly in the future.
  • Create a printed or online site guide for a birding area and distribute it widely.
  • Offer field trips or fun classes designed to inspire and educate birders or inspire non-birders to enjoy birds.
  • Participate in a leadership capacity in a young birders’ group, developing the program in a meaningful way.
  • Participate in an ongoing conservation or community action project, documenting your experiences and contribution.
  • Set up and maintain an online presence for a bird club or similar group.
  • Start a YouTube channel and produce videos or start a podcast with the goal of inspiring enjoyment and/or protection of wild birds in others.
  • Write a curriculum on birds and submit to a local school to teach as an online course.
  • Write, illustrate, and submit a publishing plan for a book on birds or bird conservation.
  • Illustrate a graphic novel featuring the ABA’s Code of Birding Ethics and share it through outreach.

You should expect to spend about 40 hours on your project, not counting the time involved in putting together the presentation. The presentation of your project should include writing and imagery that captures what you aimed to do, your experiences during the project, notable successes or failures, and what you learned or skills you developed along the way. Tell the story of your journey and how you feel you impacted the greater community.

Returning participants may continue the same project from previous Conservation & Community Leadership modules. Participants are also welcome to complete their submission about other long-term projects that extend beyond the duration of the program. However, the final presentation should focus on the work, achievements, and lessons learned between Aug. 1, 2026 – Jan. 31, 2027. Presentation may include brief explanations of the work that happened before Aug. 1, 2026, and the work that is anticipated to continue after Jan. 31, 2027.

Projects will be evaluated on execution, creativity, and presentation. Click here to see the rubric that the Conservation & Community Leadership mentors will use during submission review. These rubrics are intended to provide guidance & clarity on what the mentors are looking for. Participants and their projects will not receive a grade or a score, but they will receive individualized feedback to support their continued learning and growth.

Submission of AI-generated content will result in disqualification. For more information on AI, see the Artificial Intelligence Principles.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS for Conservation and Community Leadership Module:

1. Create a Powerpoint,  Keynote, or Google Slides digital presentation detailing your project step-by-step. Presentations should not exceed 30 slides. Your presentation may include photographs, video, audio, charts, graphs, text, reference to a website, graphics, and media. The goal is to tell us the story or stories of your project: how you planned or imagined it would go, how that matched the reality, what you learned, who or what was impacted, challenges you faced, people you met along the way and helped you out, and so on.

2. Not only do we encourage YBYP participants to get mentoring, help, and resources from others, we expect it! Please include an Acknowledgements slide with a sentence or two describing who helped you and how. The Acknowledgements slide should also include an AI Disclosure that describes any AI use. If no AI was used, the disclosure will read: AI Disclosure: I did not use any AI tools or programs during creation of my submissions. If any AI was used, the disclosure will include what tool was used, what task the tool did, and what steps the participant took to double-check the AI program’s work. The disclosure will follow this structure: AI Disclosure: In my [module] submission, I used [insert name of AI tool] to [insert tasks]. I reviewed the work by [insert steps]. For more information on AI, see the Artificial Intelligence Principles.

3. Export the digital presentation as a PDF.

4. Note: If additional content such as YouTube videos or a booklet were produced for the Conservation & Community Leadership module, please ensure this content is accessible so that mentors can review the entirety of each project. Additional files such as booklets can be submitted at the same time as uploading the PDF of the presentation. Links to YouTube videos or other websites can be included in your slides, but please make sure the links work.

File Naming Convention for the Conservation and Community Leadership Module:
YourName-Age-Conservation (example: RachelCarson-16-Conservation.PDF)

*A special note about the text in your presentation: Presentations are not designed to present large amounts of text. A good rule of thumb is not to use any font sizes smaller than 30 points, unless absolutely necessary. If you have supporting or explanatory text that needs to be included, you can include a “text slide” or two where needed. 

Sample Community & Conservation presentation >>

Conservation & Community Leadership Submission Checklist

  1. Submit the PDF of your digital presentation.
  2. Submit a one page PDF personal biography which includes a high-res photo of you, brief history of your birding, why you entered the program, and who has helped you along the way. (Only one biography needed per YBYP participant. You do not need to submit multiple biographies if you participate in multiple modules.) File Naming Convention for biography: YourName-Age-Biography
  3. Submit your files by midnight of Jan. 31, 2027. (As in: the night between Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, 2027.)

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have questions, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification on Slack before the submission date. We want you to succeed and to enjoy participating.

Illustration – Supporting Module

The Illustration Module instructions have been updated for the 2027 program. Please read the updated instructions carefully. Any questions can be directed to Slack or ybyp@aba.org.

The Illustration module involves rendering birds that you see. You should be regularly sketching birds and completing a detailed drawing or painting of a bird at least once a month. Try to do a few drawings while you’re watching a cooperative bird in the field or at bird feeders. You may also include illustrations of captive zoo or pet birds, but your submission should include at least 75% wild, free-living birds. All submitted illustrations must be your own original work. Though you may refer to works of others as inspiration and research material, you must not violate copyright law. Minimum entry is four, maximum entry is five pieces of art.

Artistic Media: We encourage young artists to be creative and to explore all different kinds of media in their artistic practice. However, to make sure all submissions can be fairly evaluated, we have established some guidance.

  • Of the 4-5 pieces of art, 3 must be 2-dimensional media, while the remaining pieces may be either 2- or 3-dimensional.
  • 2-dimensional media include, but are not limited to: pen/pencil, oil pastel, paint, digital art, and linocuts.
  • 3-dimensional media include, but are not limited to: ceramics, etchings/engravings of 3D objects, and wood carvings.

Any questions about media can be directed to Slack or ybyp@aba.org.

Submission of AI-generated content will result in disqualification. For more information on AI, see the Artificial Intelligence Principles. 

Illustrations will be evaluated on artistic expression and technical skill. Click here to see the rubric that the Illustration mentors will use during submission review. These rubrics are intended to provide guidance & clarity on what the mentors are looking for. Participants and their projects will not receive a grade or a score, but they will receive individualized feedback to support their continued learning and growth.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS for Illustration Module:

Bewick’s Wren painting by Teodelina Martelli, 2017. 

1. Create a single PowerPoint, Keynote, or Google Slides digital presentation. Scan or photograph your illustrations as hi-res jpegs and insert one piece of artwork per slide. Multiple photos are welcome for artwork that is hard to capture in only one photo.

2. Before each artwork slide, add an introductory slide with:

    1. Title of your piece
    2. Medium used
    3. Brief artist’s statement (two to five sentences) to share background information on your piece such as what inspired you or that you were trying a new technique or medium for the first time.

3. Not only do we encourage YBYP participants to get mentoring, help, and resources from others, we expect it! Please include an Acknowledgements slide with a sentence or two describing who helped you and how. The Acknowledgements slide should also include an AI Disclosure that describes any AI use. If no AI was used, the disclosure will read: AI Disclosure: I did not use any AI tools or programs during creation of my submissions. If any AI was used, the disclosure will include what tool was used, what task the tool did, and what steps the participant took to double-check the AI program’s work. The disclosure will follow this structure: AI Disclosure: In my [module] submission, I used [insert name of AI tool] to [insert tasks]. I reviewed the work by [insert steps]. For more information on AI, see the Artificial Intelligence Principles.

4. Export and save your digital presentation as a PDF.

File Naming Convention for the Illustration Module:
YourName-Age-Illustration (example: RachelCarson-16-Illustration.PDF)

Sample Illustration module presentation >>

Illustration Module Submission Checklist

  1. Submit the PDF of your digital presentation.
  2. Submit a one page PDF personal biography which includes a high-res photo of you, brief history of your birding, why you entered the program, and who has helped you along the way. (Only one biography needed per YBYP participant. You do not need to submit multiple biographies if you participate in multiple modules.) File Naming Convention for biography: YourName-Age-Biography
  3. Submit your files by midnight of Jan. 31, 2027. (As in: the night between Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, 2027.)

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have questions, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification on Slack before the submission date. We want you to succeed and to enjoy participating.

Writing – Supporting Module

The Writing Module instructions have been updated for the 2027 program. Please read the instructions carefully. Any questions can be directed to Slack or ybyp@aba.org.

Write about your favorite birds, a special or significant personal birding experience, an unexpected encounter or insight, or your thoughts on birding. The best way to improve your writing is to write often. Consider regularly writing and completing an essay, story, or poem once a month. Use your powers of observation and description to their fullest! Be creative in your word use and make your writing reflect your own thoughts. Read a variety of literary styles on birding and other subjects for examples and inspiration, but strive to develop your own voice and style.

Writing will be evaluated on artistic expression and technical skill. Click here to see the rubric that the Writing mentors will use during submission review. These rubrics are intended to provide guidance & clarity on what the mentors are looking for. Participants and their projects will not receive a grade or a score, but they will receive individualized feedback to support their continued learning and growth.

Submission of AI-generated content will result in disqualification. For more information on AI, see the Artificial Intelligence Principles. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: All submissions to the Writing Module are eligible for selection for an ABA Young Writer Award, presented in partnership with birder & photographer Owen Deutsch. Young Writer Awards include having your work published in a professional setting and an $100 honorarium.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS for Writing Module:

Poem submission by Cecilia Lewis, 2021.

Minimum entry is 6 pages of writing and a maximum of 10 pages. Each piece should have a cover page that includes a title and word count. The 6-10 pages refers to pages with actual written entries, not cover pages, sources cited pages, or the Acknowledgements page.

Mandatory Format
Font: Cambria 12-pt. font size
Spacing: 18-pt. (1½-space) vertical spacing
Margins: 1-inch margins
Footer: Include the title of your piece in the footer and a page # on each page

1. Combine your entries into a single PDF.

2. Each entry should include a cover page with:

    1. Your name
    2. Title of the piece *For poems, include title at the top of the first page of your poem*
    3. Word count

3. Not only do we encourage YBYP participants to get mentoring, help, and resources from others, we expect it! Please include an Acknowledgements page with a sentence or two describing who helped you and how. The Acknowledgements page should also include an AI Disclosure that describes any AI use. If no AI was used, the disclosure will read: AI Disclosure: I did not use any AI tools or programs during creation of my submissions. If any AI was used, the disclosure will include what tool was used, what task the tool did, and what steps the participant took to double-check the AI program’s work. The disclosure will follow this structure: AI Disclosure: In my [module] submission, I used [insert name of AI tool] to [insert tasks]. I reviewed the work by [insert steps]. For more information on AI, see the Artificial Intelligence Principles.

4. Compile all written pieces, cover pages, and (if applicable) sources cited pages into one PDF.

File Naming Convention for the Writing Module: YourName-Age-Writing (example: RachelCarson-16-Writing.PDF)

Click here for some expert advice offered by Birding magazine’s Editor, Ted Floyd, on writing.

Writing Module Submission Checklist

  1. Submit a PDF with your combined writing entries.
  2. Submit a one page PDF personal biography which includes a high-res photo of you, brief history of your birding, why you entered the program, and who has helped you along the way. (Only one biography needed per YBYP participant. You do not need to submit multiple biographies if you participate in multiple modules.) File Naming Convention for biography: FirstNameLastName-Age-Biography
  3. Submit your files by midnight of Jan. 31, 2027. (As in: the night between Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, 2027.)

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have questions, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification on Slack before the submission date. We want you to succeed and to enjoy participating.

 

 

 

Photography – Supporting Module

The Photography Module instructions have been updated for the 2027 program. Please read the instructions carefully. Any questions can be directed to Slack or ybyp@aba.org.

Requirements:

  • Photographs must be digital. Participants may use any digital camera, including a smartphone.
  • All of the photographs should be of wild birds, though they may be interacting with people or manmade structures. For example, backyard and feeder birds are allowed.
  • All photographs must be taken between Aug. 1, 2026 – Jan. 31, 2027.
  • Each submission should contain 5 photographs. 

Photos will be evaluated on artistic expression and technical skill. Click here to see the rubric that the Photography mentors will use during submission review. These rubrics are intended to provide guidance & clarity on what the mentors are looking for. Participants and their projects will not receive a grade or a score, but they will receive individualized feedback to support their continued learning and growth.

Editing: Editing is welcome, but should follow the guidelines below. Any questions about editing can be directed to Slack or ybyp@aba.org. 

Editing techniques that are accepted:

  • Cropping
  • Minor adjustments to color, white balance, saturation, contrast, sharpness, etc. The processed colors should still be recognizable as the colors from the original image, with one allowable exception: changing a color image into grayscale
  • Moderate reduction of image noise, including with AI-powered “denoise” tools
  • Healing or cloning that is limited to correcting sensor dust spots or other camera-generated artifacts, provided it does not alter the content of the original image 

Editing techniques that are not accepted:

  • Significant color & lighting adjustments which produce colors that are vastly different from the original image (except for changing a color image into  grayscale)
  • Removal of or addition of objects that were not present in the original image
  • Use of generative AI or generative fill to create, replace, reconstruct, extend, or invent image content. This includes AI Remove/Eraser tools when they replace objects with AI-generated pixels, as well as AI Expand, Outpainting, Upscaling, or similar tools that generate new image content beyond the original photograph. 

Note: AI-powered tools that improve image quality without changing the actual content of the photograph (such as AI noise reduction) are permitted. AI tools that generate, replace, or invent image content are not. Submission of AI-generated content will result in disqualification. For more information on AI, see the Artificial Intelligence Principles. 

Royal Tern by Zealon Wight-Maier for the photography module, 2022.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS for Photography Module:

1. Create a PowerPoint, Keynote or Google Slides presentation of all 5 high-resolution photos that you are submitting for the mentors to review. After each photo slide, please include a single slide as a title slide. The title slide should include:

    1. The title of the piece.
    2. The name(s) of the bird(s).
    3. Date and location.
    4. The camera and settings used to take the photo.
    5. A short two-to-five sentence commentary for each photo. Please, do not use fonts smaller than 18 points. Think: What was special about the moment? How did you capture the image? Include a brief description (no more than a sentence) of how the image was edited, including any smart tools you might have used. (Ex: “I cropped the image to highlight the bird’s eye and reduced noise with an AI Denoise tool.”)

2. Not only do we encourage YBYP participants to get mentoring, help, and resources from others, we expect it! Please include an Acknowledgements slide with a sentence or two describing who helped you and how. The Acknowledgements slide should also include an AI Disclosure that describes any AI use. If no AI was used, the disclosure will read: AI Disclosure: I did not use any AI tools or programs during creation of my submissions. If any AI was used, the disclosure will include what tool was used, what task the tool did, and what steps the participant took to double-check the AI program’s work. The disclosure will follow this structure: AI Disclosure: In my [module] submission, I used [insert name of AI tool] to [insert tasks]. I reviewed the work by [insert steps]. For more information on AI, see the Artificial Intelligence Principles.

3. Take care with file size. The presentation containing all 5 images should be no more than 3MB.

4. Export the presentation as a PDF.

File Naming Convention for Photography Module entries:
YourName-Age-Photography (example: RachelCarson-16-Photography.PDF)

Sample Photography Module presentation >>

Photography Module Submission Checklist

  1. Submit the PDF of your digital presentation.
  2. Submit a one page PDF personal biography which includes a high-res photo of you, brief history of your birding, why you entered the program, and who has helped you along the way. (Only one biography needed per YBYP participant. You do not need to submit multiple biographies if you participate in multiple modules.) File Naming Convention for biography: YourName-Age-Biography
  3. Submit your files by midnight of Jan. 31, 2027. (As in: the night between Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, 2027.)

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have questions, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification on Slack before the submission date. We want you to succeed and to enjoy participating.