Vultures are extraordinary animals, and the Vulture Interactions Photography Contest is your chance to prove it.
Run as part of International Vulture Awareness Day (IVAD), this is a free, open-to-all competition that invites photographers from every corner of the world to turn their lens on one of nature’s most misunderstood animals.
This year’s theme is “Vulture Interactions”. We are looking for images that reveal how vultures connect: with each other, with other species, and with the wider world they inhabit. That might mean the quiet closeness of a courting pair, the barely controlled chaos of a feeding frenzy, or the unspoken negotiation happening at a carcass between species that couldn’t be more different.
Think of an Andean Condor pair riding thermals together over the Chilean mountains. Black Vultures sharing a roost with Crested Caracaras on a Texas evening. White-backed Vultures and hyenas circling the same kill on the Kenyan savanna. A Himalayan Griffon standing its ground over carrion while a stray dog watches from a distance. In France, a Cinereous Vulture commanding a feeding site while ravens and Egyptian Vultures wait their turn. These are the kinds of moments that this contest exists to celebrate.
Whether you photograph in Africa, Asia, Europe, or the Americas, whether you are a professional or just starting out, you are welcome here. This competition has no entry fee and no experience requirement, just a genuine interest in vultures and a photograph that does them justice.
One overall winner will take home a special prize, with four regional runner-up awards covering Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
Enter the contest
Why participate?
By entering the contest, you will have the chance to:
- Win a National Geographic digital subscription for one year (see more details below).
- Gain exposure, with your photographs showcased through IVAD’s communication channels.
- Support vulture conservation, helping to shift perceptions and highlight the importance of these often misunderstood birds.
Capture the brilliance of vultures and be part of a movement to change the way the world sees these vital scavengers.
Promotion of photographers
The Vulture Interactions Photography Contest is more than just a competition; it’s an opportunity to showcase and celebrate your work. Winning and selected entries will be featured across IVAD’s communication channels, reaching an international audience.
Boost vulture awareness
By participating, you are helping to change the way people view vultures. These birds play a crucial ecological role, yet they often suffer from negative perceptions. Your photographs will help highlight their beauty, importance, and the urgent need for conservation efforts.
How to participate
- Submit up to 5 of your best vulture photographs through the official Photo Contest Submission Form.
- Ensure your images fit the theme and meet the contest requirements (see details below).
- Read and agree to the Terms and Conditions before submitting.
- Submit your photographs by Sunday, 7 June 2026 2026.
Submit your photos
Terms and conditions
Eligibility
- The contest is open to participants worldwide who are 18 years or older as of the closing date, 7 June 2026.
- Employees of organisations that coordinate the International Vulture Awareness Day (IVAD) and their immediate family members are not eligible. These include the Endangered Wildlife Trust, Hawk Conservancy Trust, and the Vulture Conservation Foundation, which coordinate IVAD on behalf of the Vulture Specialist Group.
Entry submission
- Participants must submit their entries electronically via the official submission form.
- Each participant may submit up to 5 original photographs.
- Each photograph must feature at least one vulture species from the list provided below, and the vulture must be photographed in the wild. The image must clearly depict an interaction, such as behaviour between vultures of the same species, interactions between different vulture species, or encounters between vultures and other animals within their natural environment. These animals may be wild species, livestock, or feral/domestic animals that vultures naturally interact with at feeding sites, roosts, in flight or anywhere else in their habitat.
- All submitted photographs must have been taken within the last five years from the date of submission.
- Entry to the contest is free of charge.
- Images entered in any previous IVAD contest are not eligible and will be disqualified.
Accepted vulture species
All entries must feature at least one of the following vulture species:
- Andean condor (Vultur gryphus)
- Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus)
- Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
- California condor (Gymnogyps californianus)
- Cape vulture (Gyps coprotheres)
- Cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus)
- Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus)
- Greater yellow-headed vulture (Cathartes melambrotus)
- Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus)
- Himalayan vulture (Gyps himalayensis)
- Hooded vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus)
- Indian vulture (Gyps indicus)
- King vulture (Sarcoramphus papa)
- Lappet-faced vulture (Torgos tracheliotus)
- Palm-nut vulture (Gypohierax angolensis)
- Lesser yellow-headed vulture (Cathartes burrovianus)
- Red-headed vulture (Sarcogyps calvus)
- Rüppell’s vulture (Gyps rueppelli)
- Slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris)
- Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura)
- White-backed vulture (Gyps africanus)
- White-headed vulture (Trigonoceps occipitalis)
- White-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis)
Image specifications
- Photos must be submitted in JPG or PNG format.
- Images must have a minimum resolution of 1,920 pixels (width for landscape, height for portrait).
- No watermarks, signatures, or identifying marks should be present on the images.
- Maximum file size: 10 MB per image.
Ownership and usage rights
- By entering this contest, participants confirm that they are the sole owners and have full copyright of the submitted photographs.
- Participants retain full copyright of their photographs. However, by submitting their entries, participants grant International Vulture Awareness Day (IVAD) a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use the images for promotional and non-commercial awareness purposes. This may include, but is not limited to, publishing, displaying, reproducing, distributing, and editing the images across both online and offline platforms.
- Additionally, participants grant IVAD permission to use their photographs in communications related to vulture conservation and awareness efforts.
- IVAD and its associated organizations may edit, crop, or modify submitted photographs as needed to fit different communication, promotional, and conservation materials. Photographers will always be credited when their work is used. However, IVAD cannot be held responsible for unauthorised use or misuse by third parties. If an image credit is accidentally omitted due to an error or oversight, IVAD is not liable and participants are encouraged to notify IVAD, for corrections to be made as soon as possible.
- By entering the contest, participants agree to have their identity disclosed for communication and promotional purposes, including but not limited to: featuring on the contest website; the judging process; publicity materials, including social media; magazines and online publications (electronic or print); general awareness campaigns; the creation of social media toolkits, allowing others to share these images to raise awareness about vultures. In all cases, proper credit to the photographer will be included.
Data protection
- IVAD and its associated organizations (Vulture Conservation Foundation and Hawk Conservancy) will only collect and process personal data from participants for the purposes of managing the contest. This includes handling submissions, notifying winners, and promoting selected photographs. Please check the privacy policy on the IVAD website to see how we collect and manage data. By joining the competition, you accept the terms of the privacy policy.
Ethical guidelines
- Participants must ensure that their photography does not cause harm, stress, or disturbance to wildlife or damage their natural habitat. Any images suspected of being taken unethically or through harmful practices will be immediately disqualified.
- All participants must submit entries that are honest, accurate, and comply with the contest rules. Any form of misrepresentation may result in disqualification.
Judging process
- Public voting: Entries will be featured on IVAD’s official Facebook page, where the public can vote for their favourites.
- Expert panel: The top 50% of most-liked photos will be reviewed by a panel of three wildlife photographers. If the number of photos in the top 50% exceeds 30, only the top 30 photographs will be reviewed. Each judge from the expert panel will also select an additional 5 photographs to be reviewed by the expert panel.
- Final selection: The three judges will select the winning photograph, as well as the four regional runner-up photographs covering Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
- Shortlisted participants may be asked to provide a brief description of their photograph and a short biography about themselves.
Key dates
- Photo submission: 5 May to 7 June 2026
- Facebook voting: 15 – 21 June 2026
- Expert panel review: 29 June – 12 July 2026
- Winners announced: 20 July 2026
Dates may be subject to change.
Prize redemption
- Winning participants will be notified via email or through the contact details provided during submission. If a winner does not respond within the specified timeframe, the prize may be forfeited and awarded to an alternate contestant.
- Prizes cannot be exchanged for cash or transferred.
Prizes
The photographer behind the top winning image will receive the following prize:
First place prize
- One-year digital National Geographic subscription
General conditions
- By entering the contest, participants agree to release IVAD and its affiliated organisations, staff, and representatives from any liability, damages, or claims related to participation or prize acceptance.
- IVAD reserves the right to modify, suspend, or cancel the contest at any time if necessary. Participants will be informed through official channels.
- IVAD is not responsible for any technical issues, errors, or delays during the submission or judging process.
- IVAD reserves the right to disqualify any participant found violating the contest rules, engaging in fraudulent activities, or behaving unethically.
By entering Vulture Interactions Photography Contest, participants confirm that they have read, understood, and agreed to all terms and conditions outlined above.
For any questions or clarifications, please feel free to contact us at info@vultureday.org
