The winning entry in California’s 2012 Upland Game Bird Stamp art competition will be selected at a judging event on April 16 in Davis.

The public is invited to attend the judging, which will take place in the conference room of the Yolo Wildlife Area Headquarters beginning at 10 a.m.

Eight artists from around the country have entered the competition, which is sponsored by the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG).

Each artist submitted their own original depiction of a Band-tailed Pigeon (Patagioenas fasciata).

The setting and details were determined by the individual artists, but entries had to include at least one adult band-tailed pigeon and if background detail was included in the design it needed to be accurate and representative of the species’ natural habitat in California.

The entries will be judged by a panel of citizens selected for their expertise in the fields of ornithology, conservation, art and printing.

Designs will be judged on originality, artistic composition, anatomical accuracy, and suitability for reproduction as a stamp and a print.

The winning entry will be reproduced on the 2012 California Upland Game Bird Stamp.

An upland game bird stamp is required for hunting migratory and resident upland game birds in California.

Money generated from stamp sales can only be spent on upland game bird-related conservation projects, the creation of hunting opportunities, and outreach and education.

DFG sells about 200,000 upland game bird stamps annually, including sales to stamp art collectors.

For more information about the California Upland Game Bird Stamp program, please visit the DFG Web site at www.dfg.ca.gov/upstamp .