Wings on King Promotes Ethical Birding
We request that all Participants of the Wings on King Project follow
BirdLife Australia's Guidelines for Ethical Birding
Ethical Birding
Promote the welfare of birds and their environment
• Support the protection of birds and their habitat
• Avoid stressing birds or exposing them to danger
• Avoid using methods such as flushing, spotlighting and call playback, particularly during nesting
season when birds may be called off incubation duties, or even abandon the nest altogether
• Be aware of the impact photography can have on birds- avoid lingering around nests or core
territories for long periods and limit the use of artificial light
• Avoid handling birds
• Report rare bird sightings to conservation authorities and consider the wellbeing of the bird before
making this knowledge more publically available
• Stay on roads, trails, and paths where they exist- avoid leaving litter along a birding trail and
otherwise keep habitat disturbance to a minimum
Respect the law and the rights of others
• Do not enter private property without the owner’s explicit permission
• Follow all laws, rules, and regulations governing use of roads and public areas
• Consider and respect the rights of landholders
• Practice common courtesy in interactions with other people
Group Birding Ethics
• Lead by example and know your audience – encourage others to employ ethical birding practices
• Report bird sightings – all data are useful to bird conservation and wherever possible, should be
reported to ornithological databases such as the BirdLife Australia database - birdata.com.au
• Impart knowledge – share what you know about birds and their habitats
• Get involved – encourage birders to engage local communities and get involved in conservation
initiatives at their favourite birding locations
• Consider the birds – always put the health and wellbeing of birds first- consider the impact you as an
individual and the group are having on birds and their environment
For more information, please refer to the complete BirdLife Australia Ethical Birding Guidelines
For the complete BirdLife Australia Ethical Birding Guidelines click here