Capturing Nature’s Beauty: The Essential Etiquette for Photographing Wild Birds

^{Note: This tip comes from Canon’s article - How to Photograph Wild Birds}

Here are seven Tips to get your bird photography etiquette up to par.

1. Do not get close to nesting birds. Wild birds' breeding season is during spring and summer, and parent birds are especially nervous when they are raising their chicks. They may abandon the nest if they sense danger or changes nearby.

2. Do not chase wild birds. That’s probably enough said on that.

3. Do not announce information about rare and popular birds. When someone announces the sighting of a rare or sought-after bird through the Internet, the information spreads immediately, and hundreds of people tend to come to the same spot the next day, causing problems for all involved.

4. When selecting a location to set up your equipment and photograph, pay attention to the people around you. Problems have increased due to some photographers getting into scuffles trying to secure the same photo location or entering private property without permission, sometimes leading to police involvement.

5. Do not feed birds or alter the environment. Wild birds fundamentally differ from domesticated birds, and they must live naturally.

6. Please use nature-friendly manners and actions. If you bring it in, take it out. If you see debris left by inconsiderate others, take it out as well.

7. Do not use electronic flash. Artificial light, like a camera flash, has a significant impact on birds. Never use a flash at night. If you do, it may startle the bird and cause injury. When it's dark out, instead of using a flash, please select a higher ISO speed.

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!)