I was compelled to post this from an online Birding Group I am a member of because it points out some things/ideas that we, as avid birders and photographers, should be alerted to keeping it all in our minds as we try to catch a glimpse/photo of a bird on our life lists! And I make no claims of property ownership....my posting is for educational purpose only. PLEASE READ if you have time...
How Photography Can Be Dangerous to Birds
While many photographers take fantastic bird photos in ethical and responsible ways, unwary photographers can inadvertently harm birds with poor actions and practices. Photography can hurt birds in a number of ways, including:
Stress: The noise of a camera or the movements of a photographer can cause undue stress, particularly if birds are distracted from other critical behaviors, such as foraging, incubating eggs, brooding chicks or avoiding predators. Simply approaching too close to a bird, its food or its nest can cause stress.
Publicity: Rare and unusual subjects often attract photographers, but too much publicity about rare sightings can attract more unwanted attention to birds, increasing their stress. Photographers who continually publish photos of rare birds, particularly if they include location information about the birds, may be doing more harm than good.
Overabundance: Rare and endangered birds make great photography subjects, but when photos of those threatened birds become commonplace, it can give the impression that the birds are abundant and do not need as much conservation or protection as is necessary.
Baiting: Some photographers may use bait to artificially stage a desirable shot of a bird, such as releasing a mouse or other rodent to tempt raptors to fly in certain ways or to approach the photographer more closely for an intimate photo. While this can be dramatic, it may condition birds to expect handouts and disrupt their natural hunting instincts, bringing them into closer proximity with other humans who may not have benevolent intentions.
Flashes: While there is no strong evidence that the use of flash photography or spotlights can immediately harm nocturnal birds, it can inhibit their hunting and foraging at the time. Unnatural lights can also distract and stress the birds or attract the attention of other nighttime predators.
Poor Information: Photographers with little knowledge of the birds they shoot may inadvertently spread poor information with their photos, spreading misconceptions, myths and other bad details that can lead to inaccurate identifications and other, more serious problems such as altering bird feeding patterns or unsafe bird house offerings.
How You Can Help
Any birder can take great photos without risk if they use adequate precautions and follow bird photography ethics. To keep your photos and the birds you photograph safe…
Use telephoto or other zoom lenses to get close to birds without additional stress and without disturbing their natural behaviors. [I try to use this often!!]
Offer full disclosure including noting when the birds are threatened or endangered as you share the photo and information.
Never manipulate nests or sheltering foliage for the sake of a photo, and do not disrupt birds' food sources or behaviors [any noise, sound, recording, disturbance is a bad thing!] just to get a specific shot.
Understand the signs of bird stress and desist photographing birds when they show any evidence of agitation, no matter how minor, by getting too close or using recorded bird songs from your phones/cameras. [Just recently I noticed a bird, that was just a few yards from me on a bridge, that it was agitated...I left shortly...I'm guilty as charged! But in my defense, I was on the bridge before he flew down...it musta been in a nearby tree and as I crossed the bridge I was perhaps getting too close to his family or something. I seriously would NOT do any harm intentionally.]
Learn to operate your camera and other equipment properly to take advantage of great photographing opportunities easily without adding to birds' discomfort.
Share photos responsibly and consult more experienced birders if necessary to properly identify the photo or learn about the birds pictured.
Remember...each photo from others is copyrighted. Respect their rights and enjoy for viewing only.
Always put birds' safety and well-being first, and any photo second.