21st Annual Birdhouse Competition

Part of Raulston Blooms!

  • Friday, April 28, 2023 – 9:00 am–6:00 pm – Drop Off Window
  • Saturday, April 29, 2023 – 10:00 am–3:00 pm

Register Register

What better way to celebrate the return of spring than with our 21st Annual Birdhouse Competition?

It's that time of year again! The Birdhouse Competition returns to the JC Raulston Arboretum. If making birdhouses is not your thing, then looking at them should be. If you love the natural world and unique garden art, get out your sketch pad, paints, and tool box. Come and join the fun!

Whether you join as a competitor or come to admire the creations our 21st Annual Birdhouse Competition will surely be one you never forget.

Birdhouse collage

Schedule of Events

Registration is open now! Please register in advance here.

Friday, April 28

9:00 am
Drop off window opens
4:00 pm
Members Only Spring Plant Sale opens
6:00 pm
Drop off window closes – no birdhouse entries accepted after 6:00 pm
6:30 pm
Judging
7:00 pm
Members Only Spring Plant Sale closes

Saturday, April 29

10:00 am
Raulston Blooms! and Plant Sale opens
21st Annual Birdhouses Competition opens
3:00 pm
All activities conclude
Birdhouse Pick-up opens
6:00 pm
Birdhouse Pick-up closes

Monday, May 1

Entries can also be picked up between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm on Monday. All entries must be picked up by 5:00 pm on Monday.

Birdhouse Competition Details

Open to all ages! The competition is a wonderful opportunity to raise awareness about bird habitats, while expressing your own creativity.

Categories

Adult (ages 17 and above)
  • Serious
  • Flight of Fancy
Children

  • Ages 5 and under
  • Ages 6–9
  • Ages 10–13
  • Ages 14–16
All Ages

  • Creativity for All!

Judging Criteria

Each participant may enter more than one entry. There's no limit!

All entries should be portable.

Entries should be able to stand alone when placed upon a display table. If they cannot stand on their own, please bring a stand to help display the birdhouse. Large structures should be equipped with their own stand that can support the entry in an upright position on a floor.

As much as possible, entries should be prepared by the entrant.

Serious

Entries will be judged on:

  1. Craftsmanship
  2. Functionality for humans and birds
  3. Mountability, ability to be raised or lowered, type of material, ability to be cleaned out, hole(s), roof, and chamber diameter and depth
  4. Aesthetics

Note: Birdhouses entered into the Serious category can best be described as usable structures for birds. They will be judged using the criteria listed above in the order they are listed.

Serious Birdhouse example
Flight of Fancy

Entries will be judged on:

  1. Aesthetics
  2. Imaginative theme or concept and exceptional use of form, texture, and/or color, composition, and execution
  3. Craftsmanship
  4. Functionality for birds

Note: Birdhouses entered into the Flight of Fancy category can best be described as decorations. They will be judged using the criteria listed above in the order they are listed.

Flight of Fancy Birdhouse example
Creativity for All! (All ages and abilities)

Entries will be judged on the basis of creativity! Judging for this category will take place on the day of Raulston Blooms! by Visitors’ Choice. Bring along your family and friends to vote for your birdhouse with their spare change.

This category is designed for individuals of all ages and all abilities, including individuals who live with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities and varying abilities. Groups are invited to participate as well!

Birdhouse example for Creativity for all category
Children (Ages 17 and under)

Entries will be judged on:

  1. Aesthetics
  2. Imaginative theme or concept; use of form, texture, and/or color
  3. Craftsmanship
  4. Functionality for bird

Note: Children's entries are judged holistically. They will not be judged in the order the criteria are listed.

Kids Birdhouse example

Judges

Judges have a creative background (e.g., woodworking, ceramics, etc.) or are birders or wildlife enthusiasts. Youth judges typically have a youth education background. If you're interested in helping us judge this year's competition, please contact our Events Team at jcra-events@ncsu.edu.

Visitors' Choice Awards

All guests are invited to judge the birdhouses on Saturday. Use your spare change to vote for your favorite birdhouses. Vote for as many as you wish, there's no limit! Each 1¢ is worth one vote. Winners of the Visitor's Choice Awards will be announced on the JCRA's Website and our Facebook page.

Raulston Blooms! Tickets

Raulston Blooms! tickets will be provided to everyone that enters a birdhouse in the competition. Invite your entire family to attend the event and see your birdhouse in the competition and enjoy Raulston Blooms! and Plant Sale

Media Sponsor

The JC Raulston Arboretum would like to thank the Triangle Gardener for being the birdhouse competition's media sponsor.

Triangle Gardener logo

Proceeds from Raulston Blooms! benefit the daily operations of the JC Raulston Arboretum. Raulston Blooms! is sponsored by and fund-raising efforts operate under the auspices of the North Carolina Agricultural Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit (tax ID 56-6049304).

Age
All ages.
Cost
Cost to enter competition: Free! Plus all participants receive a ticket to attend Raulston Blooms! and Plant Sale.
Registration
Advance registration is required.

Registration is open now! Register here.

Location
Ruby C. McSwain Education Center at the JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University, 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Directions
Need directions? Click here.
Parking
Free parking is available at the JC Raulston Arboretum and along Beryl Road.
Questions
Please contact jcra-events@ncsu.edu for more information about this event.