Celebrating the Winners of Birdability Week’s 2025 Offbeat Photo and Video Contest

Birdability Week 2025 once again brought together birders of all experiences, perspectives, and abilities to celebrate the joy, humor, and resilience that make birding such a wonderfully human (and often hilarious) pursuit. Now in its second year, the Offbeat Photo and Video Contest expanded to include video entries, and the results did not disappoint. From midair misfires to remarkable moments of adaptation, this year’s entries proved that the best (bird) stories are sometimes the most imperfect ones.

Grand Prize Winner (Photo): “Watching Warbler” by Ryan Gannon

There’s something quietly profound about a photo that doesn’t go quite as planned. Ryan Gannon’s “Watching Warbler,” taken in the willows as he tried to photograph a shy Wilson’s Warbler, is one of those magical misses. The camera locked focus on the leaves instead of the bird, but in doing so, it perfectly captured the mystery of this tiny creature peeking out from behind the branches, as if studying the photographer in return. It’s a portrait of mutual curiosity and the poetic chaos that birders know well.

Image description: Half-hidden in a thicket of soft green willow leaves, a flash of yellow waits, a Wilson’s Warbler glimpsed through branches. Only its bright crown and dark eyes betray its presence, a glowing yellow in the understory. The focus is more on the leaves than the bird.

Autofocus Gone Wrong Category, Watching Warbler, from the photographer:

“While trying to snap a picture of a sneaky Wilson’s Warbler in the dense willows, the best I got was this picture with the focus on the leaves in front of him. While maybe not a five-star eBird pic, I think this more accurately reflects this little Warbler’s personality and how it feels searching for them. While just peaking out from behind, it feels like he is watching me as well before diving back into the thicket.”

We’re thrilled to welcome back Karl Mechem (@the.ineptbirder on Instagram) as this year’s judge for the Birdability Week Offbeat Photo Contest! Karl, a self-proclaimed inept birder from Columbus, Ohio, is the creator of the beloved hashtag #WorstBirdPic, which celebrates the humor, heart, and humanity of birding’s imperfect moments. His wit and appreciation for the joy of birding, no matter the photo quality, make him the perfect person to judge this delightfully offbeat contest once again.

In the video below, Karl shares why he selected “Watching Warbler” by Ryan Gannon as this year’s winning entry, offering a peek into the charm and creativity that make this contest one of our community’s favorites.

A video of Karl Mechem discussing Cleveland birding, this year’s winner of the Offbeat Photo Contest, and the nature of a photographer’s life over a series of still photos, including the Watching Warbler

Runners-Up (Photo)

“Osprey Chick Poops” by Jasmine Zhao
Sometimes birding gets messy, and Jasmine’s mid-poop portrait of a well-fed Osprey chick along the Potomac River reminds us that humor and wonder often go hand in hand. Amid a difficult breeding season for ospreys, this chick’s healthy appetite and unapologetic flair were a hopeful and hilarious highlight.

A young osprey balances on a nest of tangled sticks against a pale sky, body arched forward in concentration. In an unguarded instant of wild nest hygiene, it relieves itself, white stream arcing into the air like a loose brushstroke on the wind.

Wing and a Prayer (and Poop!), Osprey Chick Poops, from the photographer:

“This photo captures an osprey chick mid-poop, right after dinner. Ospreys are currently facing one of their worst breeding seasons in recent memory, but this chick from a nest along the Potomac River looks well-fed and healthy. When I got to the riverbank, the mother was calling out for the father to bring food, while the chick panted in the summer heat. Eventually, the dad showed up with a fish, then quickly flew off again as the mom began feeding the chick. Once its belly was full, the chick relieved itself and flapped its wings, as if proudly showing off to its mom.”

“Eastern Bluebird Coughing Up Pellet” by Brady Karg
Even experienced birders can be surprised by what they see through the lens. Brady’s photo of a male Eastern Bluebird mid-pellet toss - yes, some of us just learned that songbirds can do that too! - captures a rare behavior with humor and fascination. It’s a reminder that curiosity drives us all, and nature always has something new to teach.

A bluebird perches on the weathered edge of a red birdhouse, sunlight warming its feathers to a brilliant gleam. Beak open, it drops a small, dark pellet toward the ground, a surprising natural act in the rhythm of wild life.

Birds Doing Bird Stuff, Eastern Bluebird Coughing Up Pellet, from photographer:

“I was photographing this beautiful male Eastern Bluebird perched on a nest box at my parents’ house when, to my surprise, it began regurgitating a pellet! I had no idea songbirds could do this! I thought this behavior was exclusive to birds of prey coughing up pellets made of bones and fur. In this case, the pellet is most likely made up of indigestible insect exoskeletons. Witnessing unique behaviors like this is one of the many reasons I love birding and wildlife photography.”

“The Hunter” by Georgia Coleman
Last year’s contest grand prize winner, Georgia Coleman’s striking image of a male Northern Harrier gliding across California’s Sacramento Valley, his injured leg trailing behind, is a portrait of perseverance. Despite his physical disability, this determined raptor continued to hunt and provide for his mate, a testament to adaptation and resilience in the natural world.

Image description: A Northern Harrier, wings spread in a slow curve, glides over tall reeds and marsh grasses. The air shimmers with distance, blue hills soft against a pale sky. The bird’s motion feels both solitary and certain with one leg dangling below him.

 Birds With Disabilities, The Hunter, from the photographer:

“I spent the summer researching and getting to know the Northern Harriers of California's Sacramento Valley. Each harrier pair had their own personality and unique behaviors. "The Hunter" was a male whose left leg had some sort of injury which prevented him from holding it against his body in flight. This photo shows him on the hunt, gliding efficiently over the tule, his left leg hanging down. Despite this setback, this male was tenacious, and I watched him bring several baby bunnies to his mate, a prey item that is fairly large even for a harrier with two perfectly functioning legs. The ability of wildlife to adapt and overcome their circumstances never fails to impress me. It is a great reminder of the marvels of the natural world.”

A short (less than 20 second) video of a standoff between a Northern Mockingbird and a Red-bellied Woodpecker at a camera feeder.

Grand Prize Winner (Video): “Standoff” by Valerie Wright

Feeder cams never lie, and sometimes they capture pure comedy. Valerie’s short clip, Standoff, stars a Red-bellied Woodpecker and a Northern Mockingbird locked in a showdown over fresh suet and mealworms. It’s backyard birding at its most cinematic: a feathered duel full of tension, attitude, and absurdity.

The Heart Behind the Humor

The Offbeat Photo and Video Contest began as a way to celebrate the parts of birding that don’t make it into glossy magazines: the blurs, the photobombs, the funny faces, the missed focuses, and the joyful imperfections that connect us all. This year’s entries took that spirit even further, highlighting not just humor but empathy, resilience, and connection.

Because birding, like life, isn’t always tidy. It’s unpredictable, often hilarious, occasionally poignant, and endlessly rewarding.

Thank you to everyone who entered, laughed, and shared a glimpse of your birding world with us. Keep your cameras rolling, your feeders stocked, and your sense of humor sharp, because next year’s contest is just around the corner.

Birding is for every body, every mind, and every moment, even (and especially) the offbeat ones.