Birders' Choice Awards 2019 now open!

Voting in this year's Birders' Choice Awards is now open. In their sixth year, these popular awards are your chance to celebrate the best in birding and conservation – as well as draw attention to those who are damaging our wildlife. The awards are, for the second year running, generously sponsored by The Birder's Store.

We present a shortlist of the best candidates in 10 categories, ranging from Conservation Hero of the Year and Guano Award for Environmental Harm to Rarity of the Year and Product of the Year. All you have to do is vote for your preferred choice in each category. You can also enter your email address to take part in our prize draw to win a fantastic prize in the form of a Kite Caiman 8x52 binocular, worth £249.

It's certainly been an exciting year for nature conservation, with the kids showing the adults how it's done. Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion have been dominating the news headlines, while Twitter campaign #NetsDownForNature really showed that grassroots movements can make a difference. Usually the Trump administration would be a shoe-in for the Guano Award, but this year the US president faces some tough competition from Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and France's ecological minister, Élisabeth Borne, among others.

From Shetland's Tengmalm's Owl to Cornwall's Brown Boobies, there were rarities up and down the country, while some truly innovative products and books had us all parting with our hard-earned cash.

Our special Local Hero of the Year award is one of our favourites. This is your chance to nominate someone you know who has made a real difference to birding or conservation in your local area. The winner will be the nomination that most impresses our editorial team, so do think carefully and provide as much detail as possible.

To take part in this year's voting, just click on the image below and choose your favourites!