2026 Bird Art Challenge with Cornell

Every year, I look forward to the Cornell Bird Art Challenge. It’s hosted on Instagram, and it’s such a fun creative exercise — especially interpreting the prompts in my own way and choosing which birds feel right for each theme. Each bird was hand illustrated by me and I used my own photos and encounters as inspiration and reference.

L-R: Puerto Rican tody, piping plover chicks, chimney swifts, black capped chickadee, brown pelican

For Charismatic Endemics, I chose the Puerto Rican tody — tiny, bold, and full of personality.

Under Bird Success Stories, I featured a trio of piping plover chicks — a conservation win here in New England, where protected beach nesting areas have helped their populations recover.

The “Photo Not Available” prompt felt perfect for chimney swifts. They’re famously difficult to photograph, which made them an easy pick.

For Birds with Whimsy, I painted a sweet little chickadee with a flower in its beak. They just are whimsy to me.

Spectacular Seabirds had to be the brown pelican. They’re absolutely ginormous… and therefore spectacular.

For Rule Breakers, I illustrated the black-and-white warbler. It doesn’t behave like a typical warbler at all — creeping along tree trunks more like a nuthatch or brown creeper.

And for Hidden Birds, I chose the Savannah sparrow, which I often flush out before I see them because they are so well hidden in the grasses.

This challenge always pushes me to look at birds, and my art, a little differently. I already can’t wait for next year. I listed each of these pieces in my Fine Art America shop if you are looking for a print!