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Birdwatchers' code
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The interests of birds come first

Skein of pink-footed geese in flight

Birds respond to people in many ways, depending on the species, location and time of year.

Disturbance can keep birds from their nests, leaving chicks hungry or enabling predators to take eggs or young. 

During cold weather or when migrants have just made a long flight, repeatedly flushing birds can mean they use up vital energy that they need for feeding. Intentional or reckless disturbance of some species at or near the nest is illegal in Britain. 

Whether your particular interest is photography, ringing, sound-recording or birdwatching, remember that the interests of the bird must always come first.

  • Avoid going too close to birds or disturbing their habitats – if a bird flies away or makes repeated alarm calls, you’re too close. And if it leaves, you won’t get a good view.
  • Stay on roads and paths where they exist and avoid disturbing habitat used by birds.
  • Think about your fieldcraft. Disturbance is not just about going too close – a flock of wading birds on the foreshore can be disturbed from a mile away if you stand on the seawall.
  • Repeatedly playing a recording of birdsong 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. See Birds, habitats and the law (linked from this page) in relation to Schedule 1 species in the UK.

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Last modified: 28 April 2006