Partner Newsletters Archives - Santa Barbara Audubon Society

Bird Walk / Field Trip Etiquette

Suggestions for how to be a considerate birder on a walk or trip:

Stay Together: Stay with the group to maximize your chances of seeing birds. Do not get ahead of the leader. One way to stay together: Don’t Be the Last in Line
Scope Etiquette: “After you’ve had a good look, move two big steps to the side to allow the next person access.”
Quiet Observation: “While some quiet conversation is fine, please keep noise levels down. Loud talking is annoying and can scare away birds.” As you talk, you may tend to fall behind.
Practice Describing locations clearly. One method is to visualize a tree or shrub. Imagine the center of it as the middle of the clock. You might say “the bird is at 2pm, 6” from the outer edge”
Don’t be shy: If you see something which has not been seen, speak up. The trip leader will not always see every bird around.
Have Fun, and Enjoy being in Nature with the birds and other participants!