Global Big Day (GBD) 2026 was an absolute whirlwind of bird celebration, lively island community spirit, and talent behind the lens! We are incredibly grateful to everyone who sent in their wonderful photos and helped document the region’s fantastic birds and lively community spirit.
Now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for, after a bit of delay for preparations for the BirdsCaribbean 25th International Conference: we are thrilled to reveal the winners of the GBD 2026 Photo Contest! These spectacular photos capture the essence of our region’s birds and remind us of the incredible things we can achieve when we unite to support citizen science programs.
If you haven’t caught up on the full Global Big Day 2026 breakdown yet, click here to dive into the main highlights, review final team standings, and meet this year’s ultimate birding champions!
This massive regional effort simply wouldn’t happen without the infectious enthusiasm of our birding community, the tireless hustle of our team coordinators, and the vital generosity of our supporters. Your contributions support Caribbean conservationists in their mission to study and monitor birds and inspire community action for the long-term protection of birds and their habitats.
The Main Stage: Best Bird Photo Winners 2026
A huge round of applause goes out to this year’s First Place Best Bird Photo champion, Peter Rivera, representing Puerto Rico!
Here is what one of our judges had to say about this winning shot:
“Gorgeous capture of this special endemic duck, beautifully showing the bird’s enormous wings and rich chocolate-to-cinnamon brown plumage. I also love the tiny drop of water on the bird’s beak.”
West Indian Whistling Duck, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Peter Rivera)
Taking home Second Place Best Bird Photo is an incredible frame of Caribbean and American Flamingos by Zak Ali. “A unique perspective, with the lines created by the incoming waves drawing your eye into the photo and toward the beauty of the flamingos living in this incredible landscape.”
Securing Third Place Best Bird Photo is a stunning capture of a Gray Kingbird with its chicks by Jerome Foster. “A powerful image that vividly shows how well birds have adapted to humankind’s impact on the planet.” “Seeing birds like this too is important—right here, in the middle of manmade structures—a reminder to always be mindful of and act with the understanding that we share our spaces with them.”
With so many exceptional submissions hitting our inbox, the selection process was incredibly tough, and our judges felt several more entries deserved time in the spotlight. Enjoy these standout Honorable Mentions:
Josh Bajnath, owner of Bajnath’s Estate Hummingbird Sanctuary, Team Leader of The Piping Pawis and author of Hummingbirds of Trinidad and Tobago, captured this stunning photo of a Tufted Coquette—which was featured in eBird’s official wrap up of GBD 2026!
Best Landscape Photo
Behind every great bird is a vital habitat. These striking images turn the spotlight on the essential ecosystems like the forests, wetlands, and coastal shores where our birds feed, rest, and raise the next generation. They highlight both the artistry of our photographers and the urgent need to conserve these wild spaces.
Claiming First Place for Best Landscape Photo is New Providence, The Bahamas, captured by Lowell Coleby! You can view more of his stunning photos here.
“This image tells an important and sobering story about the relentless pace of development across the Caribbean. The small Gray Kingbird perched on a red mangrove branch is perfectly framed against a backdrop of active construction, with dredged material being loaded into a dump truck in the distance. The composition is outstanding, and the photograph succeeds as powerful visual storytelling—capturing both the resilience of wildlife and the growing pressures facing coastal habitats throughout our region.”
Second Place Best Landscape Photo: Artemisa, Cuba. (Photo by Jose Alberto)
Third Place Best Landscape Photo: Valle de Lajas. (Photo by Eric Torres)
We also want to give a massive shoutout to the rest of our talented landscape contributors. Your dedication to framing the raw beauty of these habitats is deeply appreciated!
Best Behind-the-Scenes (BTS) Moments
While GBD is fundamentally about the birds, half the fun is the beautifully chaotic human adventure happening just out of frame. We love that our birders gave us a sneak peek into the hilarious, exhausting, and uplifting realities of a 24-hour birding blitz.
Climbing to the top of the leaderboard for our First Place Behind The Scenes (BTS) category is Nils Navarro from the Cuban Birding Team with “Birding by Bike!”
“Cuba is facing very difficult conditions right now, with severe shortages of fuel and electricity. Yet, as usual, the Cuban teams absolutely crushed it on Global Big Day—birding joyfully from their backyards and traveling by bicycle, on foot, and by motorbike to find birds. This photo beautifully captures the resilience, passion, and optimism of our Cuban colleagues, who always find a way to contribute and make a difference despite the challenges.”
Our Second Place Behind the Scenes honor goes to Dr. Leandra Dass for capturing her young, enthusiastic birder son doing what he loves–birdwatching, in Moruga (central-south coast of Trinidad).
“This capture is feels like a delightful moment where everything came together just right—Xavier framed in the heart foliage is technically a pretty shot—but it also captures the love and joy that we feel when birding. A beautifully charming photo!”
The Third Place Behind the Scenes award goes to Davian Amore of Simon’s TCI Royal Terns. We suspect the local birds are running a very effective distraction strategy.
“A wonderfully humorous photo of five birders in tiny South Caicos, each looking in a completely different direction through binoculars or a camera. You just know they had a fantastic day in the field. The TCI Royal Terns turned out in force this year to celebrate birds and honor the legacy of beloved team leader, Simon Busuttil, whose passion for birds and conservation continues to inspire the team.”
Special congratulations again to the TCI Royal Terns for placing 5th in the world on eBird’s official count of countries with an increase in Global Big Day eBirders from 2025!
Honorable mentions:
Youngest GBD-er 2026
We love to see when young people connect with the incredible bird communities in their home countries and we hope to see more young naturalists participating in next year’s GBD!
Golden Hour
Silhouettes are a beautiful way to play with light and add drama to your photos.
You’ve got the wrong guy!
Members of the President’s Perch team in England said they were scanning the skies and tree tops for birds but sent us this photo of an adorable Water Vole. We asked our eBird guru if this counts as a furry, flightless waterfowl. He still has not replied.
Ready for my close up
Seabird research ❎ Vogue photoshoot ✅
Best hair style
This Tufted Coquette secured the crown for ‘Best Hair’ with the kind of gravity-defying volume that most salon products can only promise.
Best Team Selfie
Are field selfies an essential GBD tradition? Absolutely! We love seeing your smiling, sun-baked faces. To view these snapshots in high resolution, just click on the first image and scroll through our community gallery.
