I recently received an email from Birdlife Australia with a brilliant set of guidelines on how to be an ethical birder.  It covers many aspects but the underlying theme is that we should always do what is in the best interests of the birds.  Here are some of the main points, see the Birdlife website for the full article.

Too many!

1.  Support the protection of birds and their habitat – this is a good tip for overseas birding as well.  The money you bring into the community gives decent employment to the locals and encourages them to treasure their wild birds.

Birding Nimbokrang with local guide Pak Jamil

2.  Avoid stressing birds or exposing them to danger – don’t get too close to them, don’t scare them off their nests, don’t use playback calls that can frighten them.  Stay back, use your binoculars and long zoom camera lenses to get a better look.  Use bird hides where they exist.

3.  Avoid disturbing their habitats and normal lives – don’t touch wild birds unless you have to rescue a fallen baby or injured bird.  Don’t feed them, don’t remove trees or branches from their habitats to get a better shot.

4.  Courtesy to other birders and local residents – don’t trespass onto people’s private property.  Keep your voices down.  Don’t travel in large groups that overwhelms the environment.  Stay on the main trails in national parks and if there aren’t any trails then always travel with a local guide.

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5.  If you spot a rare bird such as an Orange-bellied Parrot or Western Ground Parrot, report it to the local conservation group first so they can take steps to preserve and protect the bird.  Don’t post the sighting on social media if it is likely to cause a stampede of birders trying to add to their lifelists, they could scare the bird away or interrupt his breeding season.