Burrowing Owl photo contest opens May 1
Enjoy capturing photos of wildlife or can’t get enough of the city’s official bird? The Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife will accept entries for its fifth annual Burrowing Owl Photo Contest starting May 1.
The non-profit organization committed to protecting the city’s wildlife is looking for the best the public has to offer when it comes to pictures of the city’s official bird.
The photo contest submissions need to be in by May 17, and the grand prize winner will have their photo used on CCFW’s 2026 official Burrowing Owl Festival T-shirt.
“We’re hoping to get more and exciting photos this year,” said CCFW spokesperson Janet Windisch. “We think it’s a really fun way to bring people closer to nature. This is a great platform for amateur photographers to show their burrowing owl photos.”
There are two division categories for the contest: amateur youth (7 to 17) and amateur adult. No professional photographer can enter the contest.
“We really do want to encourage young people to get involved in conservation and enjoy wildlife,” Windisch said. “The photo contest is a great way to do that, and we hope to see lots of junior entries this year.”
Participants may submit just one photo, and are permitted to the following: crop; make minor adjustments to color, white balance, lighting levels and curves, shadows and highlight, saturation, contrast, sharpness; moderate dodging and burning; removal of dust sports and moderate reduction of image noise.
Photographs that have been digitally or otherwise altered beyond standard optimization will be disqualified.
Windisch said Pelican Baseball Complex and the Cape Coral Lee County Public Library are great spots to capture photos.
“In addition to just anywhere in your neighborhood,” she said. “We’re excited to see what the census looks like this year. We’ve been hearing about so many new burrows being dug.”
Last year, CCFW received more than 100 submissions and always looks forward to seeing the different ways the city’s favorite bird is captured.
“The owls are great subjects for photography because they have those big eyes and are so cute and quirky,” Windisch said. “We get to use this as an opportunity to celebrate the city’s official bird, and to raise awareness about the need to protect them.”
Judging will be conducted by a CCFW-appointed panel that includes expert photographers. Judges will score eligible photographs on technical quality (30%), originality (30%), and artistic merit (40%).
A final group of pictures will be passed along to judges who are Cape Coral City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn, NBC2 Meteorologist Rob Duns, and last year’s photo contest winner Darlene Coughlin.
There will be first-, second-, and third-place prizes given to the highest-scoring photograph from the adult division and youth division. Prizes include CCFW swag and a one-year membership to the group.
CCFW encourages every photographer to practice responsible bird photography. Prior to submitting any photograph, participants are strongly encouraged to read Audubon’s Guide to Ethical Bird Photography and Videography. A photograph that appears to the sponsor or judges to reflect a harmful situation is not eligible for submission, and if submitted, will be disqualified at CCFW’s sole discretion.
Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife is a volunteer-driven organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing habitats for protected wildlife species while educating the community about Cape Coral’s unique wildlife resources.
“Wildlife is beautiful and brings joy to people,” Windisch said. “The owls are special to Cape Coral. We’re known for our burrowing owls. They’re great neighbors that eat pests, too.”
Winners will be revealed during a special awards ceremony on May 31 at noon at Rotary Park. WFTX Community Correspondent Bella Line will join be there to emcee the event and help present the awards.
For full contest rules, prize details, more information on CCFW, and to enter the photo contest, visit ccfriendsofwildlife.org.
Photo submissions
The photo contest submissions need to be in by May 17.
There are two division categories for the contest: amateur youth (7 to 17) and amateur adult. No professional photographer can enter the contest.
Participants may submit just one photo, and are permitted to the following: crop; make minor adjustments to color, white balance, lighting levels and curves, shadows and highlight, saturation, contrast, sharpness; moderate dodging and burning; removal of dust sports and moderate reduction of image noise.
Photographs that have been digitally or otherwise altered beyond standard optimization will be disqualified.
CCFW encourages every photographer to practice responsible bird photography. Prior to submitting any photograph, participants are strongly encouraged to read Audubon’s Guide to Ethical Bird Photography and Videography. A photograph that appears to the sponsor or judges to reflect a harmful situation is not eligible for submission, and if submitted, will be disqualified at CCFW’s sole discretion.