Congratulations to all participants in the Songbird Art Contest. Kina Xu’s Painted Bunting artwork took 3rd place honors among students in grades 7 to 9 in the state of Virginia. The 1st place winner among students in grades 7 to 9 in Oregon was Keya Kothari’s Northern Cardinal artwork.

Winners of the annual Art of Conservation Songbird Art Contest have been announced by Wildlife Forever in partnership with the US Forest Service. This youth art contest brings awareness to the importance of songbirds and their critical conservation needs. A panel of judges selected state and national winners from more than 2,400 entries, and this year’s contest featured 5 species: Northern Cardinals, Painted Buntings, Chestnut-collared Longspurs, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Yellow-throated Warblers.

After students select a bird and learn more about the species, they create both an artwork and a composition of creative writing. “As youth engage with songbirds through the Art of Conservation program, they are also learning what can be done to protect these species,” said Addison Motta, Education and Communications Manager for Wildlife Forever.

State winners were judged in 4 age categories: Kindergarten to 3rd grade, 4th to 6th grade, 7th to 9th grade, and 10th to 12th grade. First place winners from each state were judged for national honors. All winners will receive digital certificates, and the 12 national winners will receive prize packages from Wildlife Forever and AdventureKeen.

To view all the winning entries, including state, national, and international winners, see 2023 Songbird Winners - Wildlife Forever