Birders need to keep etiquette in mind
21.05.12
“Ninety-nine percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.” OK, the joke is old, but it puts me in mind that a few naughty birders can spoil it for the rest of us. It’s time we had this little talk.
The need for birding etiquette is well understood. The American Birding Association publishes the ABA Code of Ethics, which can be found at www.aba.org. It contains four groups of basic principles that should guide all birding activities. Much of our enjoyment occurs on the private land of others, so continued access means that we demonstrate full respect for that property and its owners. Among other standards, the ABA stresses these: “a) Do not enter private property without the owner’s explicit permission, b) Follow all laws, rules, and regulations governing use of roads and public areas, both at home and abroad, and c) Practice common courtesy in contacts with other people. Your exemplary behavior will generate goodwill with birders and nonbirders alike.”
I bring this up now because birding behavior is changing. Advances in digital photography have brought affordable cameras and long lenses into the mainstream. When we were merely in visual pursuit of a bird, our hobby was relatively unobtrusive to others. With good binoculars, it was sufficient to admire a bird from a respectful distance. Even for those of us who keep a life list of birds we’ve seen, it has always been adequate to identify a new bird from afar.
Source: Bangor Daily News