Balancing Beauty and Responsibility: Ethical Considerations for Feeding Birds in Photography

^{Note: This tip comes from Audubon’s article - When It’s Okay (or Not) to Feed Birds}

Providing food—for photography or straightforward enjoyment—can be a thorny issue. For guidance, ask yourself these three questions.

Whether we identify as birders or photographers or both, we are always looking for ways to get closer to birds or to bring them closer to us.

Offering food—to sate the hunger that is such a primal drive for all—is an easy way to do that.

But it is knowing what kind of food is okay to supply, when, and where can be confusing.

Over and over, in nature photography forums and on social media, I see the following questions: “Isn’t all bird feeding harmful?” and “What’s the difference between feeding birds at a feeder and feeding owls?” and “How can you be okay with hand-feeding Gray Jays and opposed to feeding owls?”

To paint every species with one broad brush is to ignore or deny the varying needs and circumstances of every kind of bird and the realities of its life—realities that depend on population status, habitat, physiology, and the unique challenges it faces.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach.

Tip #1 - Is this species at risk?

Do the research! Information on the status of a species is just a click away.

Good sources include state and federal listings, the IUCN Red List, and Audubon’s Guide to North American Birds. Using these, we can quickly discover how a species is doing in our states, provinces, countries, or worldwide. We may even find that the status of a species varies significantly from one place to another.

If a bird is classified as “threatened,” “endangered,” or “of special concern,” that means it is struggling to survive. We must exercise extreme caution when making decisions that might affect that bird. Even if we have the best intentions, what we think might benefit a bird might cause unintended negative consequences.

Tip #2 - Is the food appropriate and safely provided?

The most common place we offer birds food is in our backyards. 

Fortunately, there is a wealth of information on how to set up and maintain bird feeders safely. Providing feeders means taking on a responsibility, as in addition to food, they can present a whole host of risks, including the spread of viruses and parasites, a greater chance of window strikes, and increased vulnerability to cats and raptors.

However, if best practices have been followed, research shows that feeders may help birds to survive and reproduce.

Tip #3 - Will feeding this bird likely change its behavior in harmful ways?

Feeding a bird might also lead it to trust people. Could that habituation eventually put it in danger?

Does the bird migrate to a region where it’s not well understood or where it’s hunted?

The answer will be different for a bird of prey (possibly yes) than for a songbird at a feeder or for a chickadee hand-fed sunflower seeds in a preserve (probably no).

You don't have to be a bird expert or conservationist to realize that birds today face many challenges. When thinking of offering food to birds, as nature photographers, we can take a little time to research and weigh the pros and cons of our choices sensibly. We can make informed decisions and balance our desire to get the shot with what’s best for the birds.

Want more? If you want to learn more about bird photography, and capture beautiful shots of your own, we recommend downloading and printing out Photzy’s 10 Bird Photography Cheat Sheets (Special bonus available now!)