Group Description

Birds, Birds, Birds, Birds, Birds, Birds, Birds, Birds, Birds, Birds, Birds, Birds, Birds, Birds,Birds, Birds, Birds, Birds, Birds, Birds, Birds, it is all about Birds!

Welcome to the biggest group about birds. Enjoy your stay and Check out all our Threads!

Site Map:
New Members Introduction | FAQ | Bird ID Help Line | Poor Man's Guide to Bird Photography |
Guide How To post photos to our gallery and threads | Equipment Discussion for Bird Photography
The discussion area is there to be used. Please feel free to start a new topic on anything related to birds.

Bird photography never gets boring. There is always a new angle you can introduce to your photos. If you take photos of birds, then you will be forever capturing moments that will never be repeated. Take the example of two birds fighting on a branch: you will never get a photo of the exact same birds, with the exact same body and wing positions, in exactly the same backdrop. You have an opportunity to record something truly unique. There’s no better excuse for getting outside than feeding your thirst for bird photography. So enjoy the process and share the results and your experiences with us in this group!

To avoid having your photos deleted from the pool, please read our rules and general guidelines below - your pictures could be removed without warning during busy periods - so please read carefully before posting.
Just as important, please take a moment to comment on a photo in the pool. This thing is about feedback and discussion more than it is about "Hey, look what I did".
Lastly, please do not pull and resubmit your photos to the pool just to bump their position. We saw it the first time. Go out and capture something different for us. :)


Group icon by Nikongerl; logo by M; cover photo by Harry Colquhoun.

Optional, but highly encouraged. Post a picture? Leave a comment. Just doing this one, simple, quick thing will improve the quality of cross education immensely. Note a technique, offer an idea - anything, really. Just be nice. We're all about civility here.

Invite other members to the group, highlight the code in the box below, right-click, select Copy, go to the photo you wish to comment on, right-click and select Paste to add the following HTML code into your comments:

Please consider adding this photo
to <b> "<a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/birdsphotos">Birds Photos</a>"</b> group</a>


Link back to the group when commenting on other photos, highlight the code in the box below, right-click, select Copy, go to the photo you wish to comment on, right-click and select Paste to add the following HTML code into your comments:

Seen in <a href="https://www.flickr.com/groups/birdsphotos">Birds Photos</a> Group.


Few thing you should know:
The first essential element in bird photography and videography is a sincere respect for the birds and their environment. In any conflict of interest, the well-being of the birds and their habitats must come before the ambitions of the photographer or videographer. Here are some basic guidelines

Avoid causing unnecessary disturbance or stress to birds.
• Never advance on birds with the intention of making them fly, whether they are lone birds or flocks of birds. This disrupts natural processes such as resting, foraging, or hunting, and causes them to expend energy unnecessarily.
• If your approach causes a bird to flush (fly or run away) or change its behavior, you’re too close. Some birds may “freeze” in place rather than fly away, or may hunch into a protective, aggressive, or pre-flight stance. Watch for changes in posture indicating that a bird is stressed, and if you see these, back away. If focused on you, birds may miss a predator.
• Use flash sparingly (if at all), as a supplement to natural light. Avoid the use of flash on nocturnal birds (e.g., owls, nightjars) at night, as it may temporarily limit their ability to hunt for food or avoid obstacles.
• Do not use drones to photograph or record video footage of birds, especially at their nests. Although drones can be useful for researchers and biologists documenting bird populations (such as at island nesting colonies), drones in general can be very disruptive to birds.
• Be cautious with remotely triggered cameras. Setting a trap around a fresh kill or cache is generally acceptable, but supplying bait or other lure in order to attract an animal is not. Never use direct flash, which may temporarily blind owls; a flash with a filter that lets only infrared light through is acceptable.
• Concern for birds’ habitat is also essential. Be aware and respectful of your surroundings. Avoid trampling sensitive vegetation or disturbing other wildlife.

Nesting birds are particularly vulnerable and need extra consideration.
• Keep a respectful distance from the nest. If you’re using a macro lens or including the nest as a focal point in an image/footage with a wide-angle lens, even if you’re operating the camera remotely, you’re probably too close. Telephoto lenses of at least 500mm are recommended.
• Avoid flushing adults, scaring young, or doing anything to draw the attention of predators to the nest. For example, repeatedly walking to a nest can leave both a foot trail and scent trail for predators.
• Do not move or cut anything from around the nest, such as branches or leaves, as these provide both essential camouflage and protection from the elements.
• Maintain a minimum distance of 25 yards from beach-nesting birds, especially solitary flightless chicks but also adults brooding, feeding, or incubating chicks. Parents frightened from their nests leave young vulnerable to swift predation from gulls and other animals, as well as deadly temperature extremes.
• Situate yourself so that you are not in a direct line from the nest area to the water, which can inhibit the family and/or chicks from heading down to the waterline to feed. It is vital that chicks feed as much as possible to gain enough weight to survive their upcoming migration. If the young are feeding at the shoreline, take special care to keep your distance so they don’t hurry back to the nest area/dunes.

That said, no one here knows everything. We learn stuff here every single day. Read, and ask questions.
We have also created "Birds Photos" group FAQ, for the benefit of new members.
More important than the subject matter is the approach to helping (or being helped by) others. Good luck and happy shooting! :)

(group created in February, 2008 by M)