“Everyone who enjoys birds
and birding must always respect wildlife, its environment, and the
rights of others. In any conflict of interest between birds and
birders, the welfare of the birds and their environment comes first”
- ABA
Birds are wild
creatures who have to constantly struggle for survival in a world
being polluted and cramped by humans. The least bird lovers can do
is not to make things worse for them by their actions. So, whether
your interest in birds is photography, sound-recording or birding,
remember that the interests of the subject must always come first.
The following are some
do's and don'ts for birdwatching in India. They have been developed
based on the American Birding Association's (ABA) Code of Birding
Ethics and inputs from
MNS-Bird Conservation
Council.
CODE
OF BIRDING ETHICS
♫
Support the protection of important bird habitats.
♫
Avoid stressing birds or exposing them to danger, exercise
restraint and caution during observation, photography, sound
recording, or filming.
♫
Avoid chasing, repeatedly flushing, excessive use of
squeakers and "pishing" .
♫
Avoid the use of recordings and other methods of attracting
birds, and never use such methods in heavily birded areas, or for
attracting any species that is Threatened, Endangered, or of Special
Concern, or is rare in your local area.
♫
Repeatedly playing a recording of bird song or calls to
encourage a bird to respond can divert a territorial bird from other
important duties, such as feeding its young. Never use playback to
attract a species during its breeding season.
♫
Do not ever use recordings to attract birds in Protected
Areas.
♫
Keep well away from nests and nesting colonies, roosts,
display areas, and important feeding sites to avoid disturbance and
exposure to predators.
♫
Do not photograph nesting birds as this encourages poor
ethics and draws attention of predators to nests.
♫
Use artificial light sparingly for filming or photography,
especially for close-ups.
♫
Stay on roads, trails, and paths where they exist; otherwise
keep habitat disturbance to a minimum.
PLEASE FOLLOW THIS CODE AND DISTRIBUTE AND TEACH IT TO OTHERS
This code has been
developed and promoted by the American Birding Association at
http://americanbirding.org
References:
American
Birding Association
MNS-Bird Conservation Council
