The Migrants & Nomads competition was held in May-June 2016.  Broadly speaking, bird movements can be categorised as Resident (movement is short and localised, eg Fairy-wrens), Migratory, Dispersive (expansion around 'home area', especially post fledgling: eg Noisy Scrub-bird), Irruptive (expansion 'away' from 'home area') and Nomadic.  The Migrants & Nomads competition was concerned only with birds that are at least part of the time migratory and/or nomadic.  Images of pelagic birds are not eligible for this competition.  Migratory birds (those with regular annual return movements at the same time each year) include, but are not limited to, migratory waders, Rainbow Bee-eaters, Buff-breasted Paradise-Kingfishers, Dollarbirds, Black-winged Monarchs and Oriental Cuckoos.  Seasonal Visitors (a sub-group of migratory) is a non-technical description of birds that migrate within Australia, such as the Sacred Kingfisher, Horsfield's Bronze-Cuckoo, Fairy Martin, White-winged Triller, Orange-bellied Parrot and Rufous Songlark (to name a few) who tend to turn up every year at certain times.  Nomadic birds (unrestricted wandering following resources) are an exciting lot.  Amongst the better known are Budgerigars, Chats, Pied and Black Honeyeaters, Princess Parrots and, wait for it, the Night Parrot!  Others may include the gorgeous Inland Dotterel, Bourke's Parrot, Gibberbird, Painted Honeyeater and Ground Cuckoo-shrike, to name just a few.  Most bird guides will tell you whether a particular species is nomadic and/or migratory.  Many nomadic birds will also be 'irruptive'.  Vagrants are included.

The results of member voting for the top 5 (or more, in the case of tied scores) images in each category are listed here.  In line with many other bird/wildlife photo competitions, we present the results in the following manner: the Winner is the image which received the most votes; and we also show the next four highest placed images, rating them as Highly Commended if they received at least 90% of the votes for the winning image, and Commended for scores less than that.

Advanced Level – Migrants & Nomads

This category attracted 38 entries, from 13 photographers. 41 members voted, with the following result:

• Winner - Whiskered Tern, by Ian Wilson (Image ID 20873)
• Commended - Eastern Curlew, by Ian Wilson (Image ID 20871)
• Commended - Grey-headed Lapwing, by Peter Johnston (Image ID 20881)
• Commended - Spotted Nightjar, by Ian Boyd (Image ID 20895)
• Commended - Flame Robin, by Con Boekel (Image ID 20817)
• Commended - Bar-tailed Godwit, by Ian Wilson (Image ID 20872)

Intermediate Level – Migrants & Nomads

This category attracted 79 entries, from 27 photographers. 41 members voted, with the following result:

• Winner - Flame Robin, by Wilson Lennard (image no longer available)
• Commended - Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, by Wilson Lennard (image no longer available)
• Commended - Orange Chat, by Ross Jones (Image ID 20886)
• Commended - Pied Currawong, by Mary Wheeler (Image ID 20889)
• Commended - Dusky Woodswallow, by Jill Duncan (Image ID 20411)
• Commended - Red-necked Stint, by Wilson Lennard (image no longer available)

Entry Level – Migrants & Nomads

This category attracted 21 entries (down from 50!), from 9 photographers. 36 members voted, with the following result:

• Winner - Forest Kingfisher, by Anne Burgess (Image ID 20896)
• Highly Commended - Plumed Whistling-Duck, by Jonathan Pridham (Image ID 20822)
• Highly Commended - Plumed Whistling-Duck, by Anne Burgess (Image ID 20843)
• Commended - Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, by Daniel Lees (Image ID 20724)
• Commended - Double-barred Finch, by Jeni Mackenzie (image no longer available)
• Commended - Rainbow Bee-eater, by Cassandra White (Image ID 20665)