Birding Ethics

["Glenda Cotter" <gcotter at upress dot utah dot edu>]

It's quite sad to me that what has been a helpful and good-natured 
internet birding community was subjected to the vicious and 
unnecessary ad hominen attack of bird photographer Jared. There 
is no need or justification for such incivility. All previous conversations 
and warnings on the Birdnet have been polite, if concerned.

Jared's further action--posting the addresses of all the nests he has 
found--fully justifies the suspicion with which his request had been 
treated. Yes, we enjoy finding and observing birds; yes, we enjoy 
photographing them. But the ethical birder will try not to unduly 
disturb birds for the sake of adding them to our life list or our 
photo collection, and certainly no ethical birder would put nesting 
birds at risk by the sort of irresponsible posting of nest sites that we've 
seen. 

Perhaps it's time for all of us to visit, or revisit, the American 
Birding Association's web site and read the Code of Birding Ethics:
http://americanbirding.org/abaethics.htm
"Promoting the welfare" of the birds we love should be a primary
concern among all birders, photographers, falconers, etc. I believe
that concern is paramount among most members of these groups. 
But irresponsible behavior by any damages the interests of all. 

And we shouldn't forget civility and good manners along the way.

Glenda Cotter

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