There's just something missing for me. This seems like it should really pop when viewed in thumbnail, but is slightly dead looking in the larger version. Perhaps the eye is not communicating emotion.
vert creatuvem the feathers and paint are lovely, and turn the eye into a piece of art in and of itself; I love the graceful curves of darkness around the paler skin- and overall I find this piece one of my higher/ top 10 choices (~~10~~) I hope you do well in this challenge- nice imagry!
I'm not quite sure how to critique this. It certainly meets the challenge, but a combination of harsh light and distracting specks makes it slightly unappealing. The focus on the eye is good, maybe try placing the key light lower?