Bird Finder PH and Birds in Focus Inc. are in the process of writing books focusing on the different birding sites and birds around the Philippines.

The books aim to promote birding and the different birding sites across the Philippines specifically the amazing birding experience and diverse bird life one can get in each site, rich natural resources, unique cultures and traditions, and even food and other regional and local specialties each area has to offer.

We are calling for contributors for the text, photo and art content of the books.

DETAILS

A. Who can contribute?
  • All individuals aged 18 to 90 years old may be a contributor.
B. What can be contributed?
1. PHOTOS

a. There are 3 subjects for photo contributions:

i. SUBJECT 1 – Birding Area Landscape – Focus should be on capturing the unique landscape of a birding site. List of sites included in the contest is in Section E below.

ii. SUBJECT 2 – Birding in Action Photo – Focus should be on capturing birders in action while in the field in any of the listed sites in Section E included in this contest.

iii. SUBJECT 3 – Star Bird Photo – Focus is on the star bird/s in the particular site as listed in Section E.

b. There is no limitation as to the period the photograph/s was/were taken. Old and new images are welcome as long as these are representative of the current look and state of the site.

c. Photos must be taken in the specific birding site or in the neighboring areas.

d. All bird photos must be taken in the wild and of non-captive, caged, or caught birds.

e. To ensure the ethical practice of bird photography, all participating photographers are expected to have strictly adhered to the Biodiversity Management Bureau’s (BMB) Birding Guidelines in the Philippines (DENR-BMB Technical Bulletin 2017-02) which can be accessed through this link: http://www.bmb.gov.ph/index.php/e-library/laws-and-policies/technical-bulletins/technical-bulletin-2017. Any confirmed reports of violation of the aforementioned guidelines will result in disqualification from the contest and shall be reported to the BMB.

f. Selected contributors shall be required to submit the RAW files of their selected photos.

g. Complete list of species and sites may be found in Section E below.

h. The listed species per site are preferred and priority star birds. Photographers, however, may submit photos of other birds not mentioned or listed provided item “d” hereof is satisfied.

2. BIRD VIDEOS

a. There is no limitation as to the period the video/s was/were taken. Old and new videos are welcome.

b. Videos must be taken in the specific birding site or in the neighboring areas.

c. All bird videos must be taken in the wild and of non-captive, caged, or caught birds.

d. To ensure the ethical practice of bird photography and videography, all participating photographers are expected to have strictly adhered to the Biodiversity Management Bureau’s (BMB) Birding Guidelines in the Philippines (DENR-BMB Technical Bulletin 2017-02) which can be accessed through this link: http://www.bmb.gov.ph/index.php/e-library/laws-and-policies/technical-bulletins/technical-bulletin-2017. Any confirmed reports of violation of the aforementioned guidelines will result in disqualification from the contest and shall be reported to the BMB.

e. Complete list of species and sites may be found in Section E below.

f. The listed species per site are preferred and priority star birds. Photographers, however, may submit videos of other birds not mentioned or listed provided item “d” hereof is satisfied.

3. WRITE-UPS

a. There are 3 subjects for the written contributions:

i. SUBJECT 1 – Birding Area Story – Focus should be on describing the actual birding site, including vivid descriptions of the area, how to access the site, etc. List of sites included in the contest is in Section E below.

ii. SUBJECT 2 – Birding Story – Focus should be on the actual birding experience, including details on the personal experience while birding. List of sites included in the contest is in Section E below.

iii. SUBJECT 3 – Star Bird Story – Focus should be on the star bird/s in the particular site, including descriptions of the bird/s, and/or how the bird was seen and/or photographed. List of species included in the contest is in Section E below.

b. Entries must be typed/encoded in Arial, regular, font size 12, and 1.5 line spacing.

c. Entries should be written in English only for Filipino and international readership, with a minimum of 1,000 words and a maximum of 3,000 words.

d. All entries must be original and previously unpublished. If previously published, kindly indicate the details of publication (date, platform, type, etc.)

e. Complete list of species and sites may be found in Section E of these mechanics.

f. The listed species per site are preferred and priority star birds. Writers, however, may write about other birds not mentioned or listed herein.

4. ILLUSTRATIONS

a. Species to be drawn are those extirpated/extinct Philippine birds, with no known or no high quality photographs taken in the wild as of the posting of these mechanics. List of species included in the drawing contest is in Section E below.

b. Illustrations must be anatomically correct. Each entry must feature the accurate colors, identifying field marks, and body proportions of each bird, yet still be presented in a visually compelling manner.

c. Participants are limited to using the following media in their drawings: digital, acrylic, watercolor, oil, colored pencils, and/or crayons on plain paper, or white board (no canvass). Standard size is 8.5 x 11 inches.

C. Submission Details
  1. DEADLINE: Submission of all entries is from October 1, 2020. Entries must be received by 11:59 PM Philippine Time (PHT) on October 31, 2020 at the latest.

  2. EMAIL: All entries should be submitted online via these links:

Photo and Video Submissions – https://forms.gle/Mc3kHEFwcca3uezi8
Writing Submissions – https://forms.gle/ChHqc1iX5aorGugw5
Illustration Submissions- https://forms.gle/DC6jJBdT9TAXL7NCA

  1. REQUIRED INFORMATION: Contributors must provide the following details in his/her submission:

PHOTOS

  • Complete Name
  • Mobile Number
  • Title of the Photography
  • Name of Bird
  • Location
  • Shooting Details

BIRD VIDEOS

  • Complete Name
  • Mobile Number
  • Name of Bird
  • Location
  • Shooting Details

WRITE-UPS

  • Complete Name
  • Mobile Number
  • Title of the Essay
  • Birding Area

ILLUSTRATIONS

  • Complete Name
  • Mobile Number
  • Name of Bird in Drawing 
  • Medium Used

4. ENTRY FORMATS: Contributors must ensure to submit their entries as attachments in the following file formats:

PHOTOS

  • JPEG
  • 300 dpi
  • at exactly 2048 pixels at the longest side
  • No watermarks

BIRD VIDEOS

  • MP4 format
  • Minimum quality 720p
  • Minimum video length 15 seconds
  • No watermarks or captions
  • No music overlay

WRITE-UPS

  • MS Word file
  • Arial, regular
  • font size 12
  • 1.5 line spacing

BIRD ILLUSTRATIONS

  • photo of artwork in JPEG format
  • 300dpi
  • at exactly 2048 pixels at the longest side

5. FILE NAME: Contributors are requested to label their entries according to the following file name format:

PHOTOS BIRD VIDEOS WRITE-UPS ILLUSTRATIONS
Format:
CATEGORY_Entry#_name of participant
Examples:
PHOTOS_Entry#1_JoseCruz
BIRDVIDEO_Entry#1_JoseCruz
WRITEUP_Entry#1_JoseCruz
ILLUSTRATION_Entry#1_JoseCruz

D. CRITERIA FOR SELECTION

The following criteria will be used to select all entries:

PHOTOS

Impact and Creativity
Photographic Quality

BIRD VIDEOS

Impact and Creativity
Video Quality

WRITE-UPS

Content
Overall Impact
Form and Style

BIRD ILLUSTRATIONS

Anatomical Accuracy 
Artistic Quality

E. LIST OF SPECIES AND SITES

Birding Sites and Star Birds List (for Photo and Write-Up Contributions)

VISAYASMINDANAO
SITES STAR BIRDS POPULAR BIRDS
LUZON
1 – Batanes Black-faced Spoonbill
Japanese Paradise Flycatcher
Hoopoe
Silky / Red-billed Starling
Ryukyu Scops Owl
Great Cormorant
Whistling Green Pigeon
Blue Rock Thrush
White Wagtail
2 – Ilocos Norte (Laoag, Pasuquin, Pagudpud, Adams) Spotted Imperial Pigeon
Grey-throated Martin
Savanna Nightjar
Cordillera Ground Warbler
Temminck’s Stint
Northern Rufous Hornbill
Philippine Duck
Northern Black and White Triller
Luzon Striped Babbler
3 – Banaue – Mt.Polis Flame-crowned Flowerpecker
Luzon Water Redstart
Turquoise Flycatcher
Mountain Tailorbird
Luzon Scops Owl
Red Crossbill
Mountain Shrike (validirostris)
Luzon Bush Warbler
4 – Baguio – Camp John Hay Benguet Bush Warbler
Chestnut-faced Babbler
Fire-breasted Flowerpecker
Citrine Canary Flycatcher
Red Crossbill
Mountain Shrike
Bundok Flycatcher
5 – Subic Bay Forest Reserve Green Racket-tail
Luzon Flameback
Northern Sooty Woodpecker
Rufous Coucal
White-fronted Tit
Northern Rufous Hornbill
Coleto
Blue-naped Parrot
Chocolate Boobook
6 – Bataan (Balanga Wetlands) Black-headed Gull
Eurasian Curlew
Greater Crested Tern
Kentish Plover
Black-winged Stilt
Common Greenshank
Common Redshank
7 – Candaba Black Bittern
Green-winged Teal
Northern Pintail
Northern Shoveler
Eastern Grass Owl
Philippine Duck
Whiskered Tern
Plain Bush-hen
Pheasant-tailed Jacana
8 – Metro Manila (La Mesa Ecopark, UP Diliman, LPPCHEA) Ashy Ground Thrush
Indigo-banded Kingfisher
Guaiabero Philippine Hanging Parrot
Philippine Hawk Cuckoo
Spotted Wood Kingfisher
Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker
Grey-backed Tailorbird
Hooded Pitta
9 – Infanta Highway Black-crowned Babbler
Flame-breasted Fruit-Dove
Philippine Fairy-bluebird
Philippine Trogon
Northern Rufous Hornbill
White-browed Shama (White-browed)
Yellowish White-eye
10 – Mt. Makiling Flaming Sunbird
Luzon Hornbill
Red / Rough-crested Malkoha
Scale-feathered Malkoha
Luzon Bleeding-heart
Philippine Pygmy Woodpecker
Stripe-headed Rhabdornis
Spotted Wood Kingfisher
11 – Bangkong Kahoy Valley Luzon Sunbird
White-browed (Philippine) Shortwing
Whiskered Pitta
Philippine Eagle Owl
Blue-headed Fantail
Sulphur-billed Nuthatch
Bicolored Flowerpecker
Lowland White-eye
MINDORO
12 – Mt. Halcon Mindoro Imperial Pigeon
Mindoro Scops-Owl
Island Thrush (mindorensis)
Green-backed Whistler
Scarlet-collared Flowerpecker
Mindoro Hawk-Owl
Mindoro Racquet-tail
Mountain Shrike (tertius)
Bundok Flycatcher
13 – Sablayan – Siburan Forest Black-hooded Coucal
Mindoro Hornbill
Mindoro Racquet-tail
Scarlet-collared Flowerpecker
Mindoro Hawk-Owl
Mindoro Bulbul
14 – Naujan Lake National Park Pheasant-tailed Jacana
Philippine Swamphen
Tufted Duck
Philippine Duck
Wandering Whistling Duck
Whiskered Tern
PALAWAN
15 – Coron – Capayas Creek Blue-eared Kingfisher
Lovely Sunbird
Palawan Flowerpecker
Rufous-backed Kingfisher
Yellow-throated Leafbird
Blue-eared Kingfisher
Lovely Sunbird
Palawan Flowerpecker
Rufous-backed Kingfisher
Yellow-throated Leafbird
16 – Napsan – Irawan Watershed Forest Reserve Ashy-headed Babbler
Blue-headed Racket-tail
Blue Paradise Flycatcher
Melodious Babbler
Palawan Flycatcher
Spot-throated Flameback
Pale Spiderhunter
Palawan Blue Flycatcher
17 – Puerto Princesa Underground River Falcated Wren-Babbler
Palawan Hornbill
Palawan Peacock Pheasant
Palawan Scops Owl
Red-headed Flameback
Palawan tit
Palawan Frogmouth
Sulphur-bellied Bulbul
Great slaty Woodpecker
VISAYAS
18 – Balinsasayaw Twin Lakes National Park Dimorphic Dwarf Kingfisher
Flame-templed Babbler
Maroon-naped Sunbird
Negros Bleeding-heart
Yellow-faced Flameback
Balicassiao
White-winged Cuckooshrike
Pink-bellied Imperial Pigeon
19 – Gawahon Eco Park Flame-templed Babbler
Negros Scops Owl
Visayan Fantail
Visayan Hornbill
White-throated Jungle Flycatcher
Visayan Bulbul
Southern Indigo-banded Kingfisher
Balicassiao
Buff-eared Brown-Dove
20 – Mambukal Mountain Resort Black-belted / Visayan Flowerpecker
Magnificent Sunbird
White-vented Whistler
Stripe-breasted Rhabdornis
Visayan (White-browed) Shama
Luzon Hawk-Owl
Spotted Wood Kingfisher
Visayan Bulbul
Brown-breasted Kingfisher
21 – Cebu (Alcoy, Tabunan Forest) Cebu Black Shama
Lemon-throated Leaf Warbler
Cebu Hawk-Owl
Streak-breasted Bulbul
Coppersmith Barbet (cebuensis)
Elegant Tit
Buff-eared Brown-Dove
Mangrove Blue Flycatcher
22 – Olango Island Asian Dowitcher
Ruddy Turnstone
Chinese Egret
Far Eastern Curlew
Eurasian Curlew
Black-tailed Godwit
Bar-tailed Godwit
Common Tern
23 – Bohol – Rajah Sikatuna Azure-breasted Pitta
Black-faced Coucal
Northern Silvery Kingfisher
Rufous-lored Kingfisher
Visayan Broadbill
Philippine Frogmouth
Bohol Sunbird
Yellow-breasted Tailorbird
Everret’s Scops Owl
Striated Wren-Babbler
MINDANAO
24 – Bislig Forest Celestial Monarch
Short-crested Monarch
Mindanao Hornbill
Mindanao Wattled Broadbill
Writhed Hornbill
Mindanao Blue Fantail
Rusty Crowned Babbler
Black-headed Tailorbird
Southern Silvery Kingfisher
Amethyst Brown-Dove
25 – Mapawa Nature Reserve South Philippine Dwarf Kingfisher
Yellow-breasted Fruit-Dove
Rufous Paradise Flycatcher
Yellow-wattled Bulbul
Southern Silvery Kingfisher
Philippine Pitta
Short-billed Brown-Dove
26 – Cinchona Forest Bagobo Babbler
Black-and-Cinnamon Fantail
Blue-capped Wood Kingfisher
Bukidnon Woodcock
Southern Rufous Hornbill
Bagobo Babbler
Black-and-Cinnamon Fantail
Blue-capped Wood Kingfisher
Bukidnon Woodcock
Southern Rufous Hornbill
27 – Pasonanca, Zamboanga Zamboanga Bulbul
White-eared Tailorbird
Orange-tufted Spiderhunter
Southern Silvery Kingfisher
Rufous-tailed Jungle Flycatcher
Little Slaty Flycatcher
28 – Baras Bird Sanctuary, Tacurong Bird Park Black-crowned Night Heron
Rufous Night Heron
Great Egret
Glossy Ibis
Intermediate Egret
Cattle Egret
Javan Pond Heron
29 – Senator Ninoy Aquino, Sultan Kudarat Mindanao Bleeding-heart
Philippine Oriole
Philippine Leafbird
Black-bibbed Cuckooshrike
Southern Black and White Triller
Mindanao Pygmy Babbler
Metallic-winged sunbird
Blue-crowned Racket-tail
Buff-spotted Flameback
Pinsker’s Hawk Eagle
30 – Davao City (Philippine Eagle Center and Eden) Cryptic Flycatcher
Whiskered Flowerpecker
Japanese Night Heron
Giant Scops Owl
Chinese Crested Tern
Southern Silvery Kingfisher
Orange-lined Sunbird
Brown Tit Babbler
Cinnamon Ibon
Mindanao Hawk-Owl

Birds Drawing List (extirpated/extinct species or species with no known photos or no high quality photos taken in the wild)

  1. Tawny-breasted Parrotfinch
  2. Brown-banded Rail
  3. Cebu Flowerpecker
  4. Mindoro Bleeding-Heart
  5. Negros Fruit-Dove
  6. Tawi-tawi Bleeding-Heart (Sulu Bleeding-Heart)
  7. Worcester’s Buttonquail
  8. Sulu Racquet-tail
  9. Isabela Oriole
  10. Wooly-necked Stork
  11. Sarus Crane
  12. Spot-billed Pelican
F. CONTRIBUTION TO CONSERVATION
A portion of the proceeds from the sales of the book will be allocated for conservation projects of Bird Finder PH and Birds in Focus Inc.

G. INCENTIVES
Selected entries from each category/subject will be featured in the “Haring Ibon Explore Series” publications of Bird Finder and Birds in Focus, their websites, and future publications (i.e., coffee table books, etc.) with proper credit given to the author and/or photographer. They may also be featured in Haring Ibon merchandise.

Selected contributors will get 1 copy of the book per featured (published) entry. Example, if a contributor has 5 published photos, he/she will get 5 copies of the book.

The percentage of royalty fees shall be confirmed based on the final layout of the book and shall be paid to the contributor based on yearly book sales.

H. ROYALTIES
Selected contributors will get royalty fees based on book sales.

Ten percent (10%) of the net income from the sale of books shall be paid as royalty to the contributors. The 10% will be equally divided by the number of featured (published) entries. Contributors will receive their royalties based on the number of featured (published) entries.

In the event that the original or copies of the entries (photographs, drawings, etc) is/are sold, the contributors will be entitled to fifty percent (50%) of the net price of sale.

Payments for royalties and sales shall be made every January after the fiscal year when revenues and financial matters are computed and finalized.

Payments for sale of original or copy of photographs, drawings, etc. may be made within two (2) months after the conduct of special events like expos, exhibits and the like.

I. ENTRANT LICENSES/RELEASE
By submitting an entry, all Contributors grant an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive license to Bird Finder and Birds in Focus Inc. as the Authorized Party, to reproduce, distribute, display and create derivative works of the entry (along with a name credit.)

Display or publication of any entry on an Authorized Party’s website does not indicate the entrant will be selected for publication. The Authorized Party will not be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval in connection with such use.

Contributors hereby give their consent to the Authorized Party to perform or not perform any act that would otherwise infringe the entrant’s “moral rights” in their entries.

The Authorized Party will not be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval in connection with such use.

The Authorized Party shall have the right to edit, composite, morph, scan, duplicate, or alter the entry for any purpose which the Authorized Party deems necessary or desirable. The Authorized Party shall have the right to freely assign its rights hereunder, in whole or in part, to any person or entity. The Authorized Party shall retain the rights granted in each entry even if the entry is disqualified or fails to meet the Submission Requirements or even it if it has determined that the entrant is ineligible to be selected for publication.

Copyright remains with the authors and photographers but Bird Finder and Birds in Focus, Inc. has non-exclusive perpetual license to use the written work and photographs in whatever manner permitted by law. In the case of commercial use, the author and/or photographer shall be given the corresponding royalty fees.

J. SPECIAL PROVISIONS
The provisions of BIF Standard License Agreement (as published in its website) will govern in all other matters not enumerated in the mechanics and TOR of this call.

Submission means strict adherence to and expressed agreement to the mechanics and TOR of the call. Once submitted, entries shall not be withdrawn for whatever reason.
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