The Importance Of Learning Bird Habits

^{Note: This tip comes from Photzy’s 10 Bird Photography Cheat Sheet Snap Cards.}

As you explore bird photography, you must learn about bird habits.

For example, if you are lucky enough to spot an owl during the daylight hours, do not draw attention to the owl, as other smaller birds may mob it.

Whether or not you are a bird watcher, you have probably witnessed smaller birds grouping and attacking a larger bird. This behavior is called “mobbing.” Owls are particularly vulnerable to mobbing during daylight hours—always photograph owls from a distance with a telephoto lens.

These three tips will help you learn about bird habits and capture great photos.

1. Plan on a camera position and stay there. Don’t move around. If you’re not getting the shots you want, look around and make notes for better locations on your next return trip to that location.

2. Practice patience; if you are after a particular bird, study its habitat and feeding patterns online. Two of my favorite websites for these quick learning experiences are allaboutbirds.org and audubon.org.

3. While patiently waiting for the right moment, practice your camera skills, such as placing critical focus and quietly changing camera settings and lenses.

Remember! Knowing a bird’s habits will fast-track your success, whether you’re shooting in the wild or in your backyard.

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!)