The issue of birding ethics, especially the issue of using bird song playback, is a hot topic in birding circles. The Augusta Bird Club (ABC) Board met, and based on our discussion and three primary sources noted below, agreed on the following:

When you are birding or photographing birds, the ABC urges you to respect wildlife, nature, your fellow humans and their property. You can do this by following these guidelines:

• Exercise restraint during observation, photography, sound playback, or filming to avoid stressing birds.
• Limit the use of bird song recordings and other methods of attracting birds. Do not use such methods in heavily birded areas or for attracting species that are threatened, endangered, or rare.
• Keep well back from nests, nesting colonies and known roosting areas.
• Do not enter private property without the owner’s explicit permission.
• Follow all laws, rules, and regulations governing use of roads and public areas.
• Practice common courtesy; it will generate goodwill.
• Before advertising the presence of a rare bird, consider the potential for disturbance to the bird, its surroundings, other people and their property. Proceed only if access is reasonable, disturbance minimized, and with the permission of private landowners.

On this topic, the noted ornithologist David Sibley writes: “Most of the debate about (bird song) playback has focused on a polarizing question: Is (the use of bird song) playback ethical, or not? With no concrete evidence supporting either side it remains unresolved. In this post I assume that it will be used, and that it is just one of many birding activities that should be practiced with sensitivity.”

The Augusta Bird Club encourages you to read the full article: The Proper Use of Playback in Birding

Other helpful online resources regarding birding ethics:

ABA Code of Birding Ethics

eBird Birding Ethics: Guidelines for respecting birds, their habitat, and each other

Audubon’s Guide to Ethical Bird Photography and Videography