Ethics have always been an important issue to birders. Early on, they realized that their behavior in the field was critical to the birds and the future of birding. Ethics has had to play catch up to things like group birding and the conduct of its leaders and respecting the law and rights of others. Now as technology grows by leaps and bounds, we struggle with issues such as when and if we should post the sightings of birds on listservs and websites.

I remember some years back you would rarely came across a nature photographer in the field. Why? Because the equipment was way too expensive for the average person to afford. Then, with the introduction of digital equipment it seemed everyone was instantly a birding shutterbug. I can recall walking around my favorite birding spot and people with cameras walking in front of me chasing off the birds and asking me to identify the picture on their camera.

It is not that they were trying to be rude, but there were just no ethics being taught to go along with the new technology. Now I see a drastic change in the way photographers in the field conduct themselves. I no longer notice if someone is carrying a camera or binoculars when they are out on a field trip with me. It seems almost everyone has now become a birder first.

And now, like a flock of grackles descending upon a birdfeeder, comes all the birding “apps”, which are wonderful. Having a hand held field guide along with the songs and calls is great; a birders’ dream come true. But here again ethics need to play catch up to the technology.

“The "apps" are great, but need to be used appropriately,” said Denise Farrell, Field Trip Coordinator for Bergen County Audubon Society. “We need to let new birders know in a diplomatic way about the use of their smart phones. Birders calling in the birds via their "apps", particularly in a heavily birded area during migration or a nesting area, can be detrimental,” Denise went on to tell me.

“Many birders passing through an area and calling in an exhausted migrating bird or very busy nesting bird working hard to build nests or feed their young. It is no different than repeatedly pulling the old ring your neighbor’s doorbell and run prank you did as a kid. It diverts the bird’s attention away from its ultimate job of survival. And now try to imagine what would happen if everyone did it all day long, all season long. Not to mention all the birders that will be very upset with you when they come running looking for the bird whose call they think they hear coming from your phone,” Denise concluded.

The American Birding Association puts it in simple terms: “Everyone who enjoys birds and birding must always respect wildlife, its environment, and the rights of others. In any conflict of interest between birds and birders, the welfare of the birds and their environment comes first.”

I personally have a deep concern that the new technology will make new birders feel like they have a quick fix. They won’t need to spend time out in the field observing and learning about the birds. Like a video game, they might think they can flip the “on” switch and they will be instant experts with no need to really absorb what birding is really about.

Like all technology, the future of birding technology will take off with the speed of a peregrine and will play a big part in the new generation of birders. It will enable birders to learn about birds faster and help introduce new people to birding. But it will be up to us to use it in the best interest of our environment, and in particular, our birds.

Check out the American Birding Association Principals of Birding Ethics -http://www.aba.org/bigday/ethics.pdf