Bird sound recordings, yes or no

I have been photographing birds for a number of years now, occasionally using bird sounds on my ipod to attract a bird out a a dense bush or from the high canopy.

I am not sure if this is a legitimate practice or not. Some notable people I have met seem frown on it, but condone using other forms of sound attractors such as deer calls, or mouse squeaks. There does seem to be a measure of hypocrisy from some corners whilst I accept that using bird sound during certain times of the year is not the done thing.

There seems to be a group of birding be people who will tell you its not right, but cant tell you why.

I haven't had an opportunity to discuss this with anybody as I usually conduct my photography on my own.

If anybody has an opinion either way on this subject I would be very pleased to hear it

Ron, what comes next is just me, and I realize I am a purist, and I am not saying what I do is the correct way and that everybody else is doing it wrong. I do not use any types of baits, decoys, or sounds to get birds where "I" want them so I can get an image. I just don't feel comfortable making a bird do something it would not be doing naturally so I can get a picture. So, I try not to impact the animal and just wait for it to come to me while doing what it would normally be doing. Do I cause impacts, some time sure, but I do my best not to. I use a lot of camo and blinds and waiting. The way I look at it is this, I know how bad I would feel if by calling a small bird out of the thicket to get a picture, it resulted in a Cooper's hawk killing that bird. Yes, the Cooper's needs to eat too, but it was my actions that caused the small bird to die and the hawk to be successful. I do not want to influence nature in that way, I want to capture it as it is unfolding without my impact being a part of it. May times this is tough to do, but again, it is what I strive for. Again, that is just the way I approach bird photography. Right or wrong. Not sure if this helps you or not.

I tend to agree with Ron on this one. I don't consider myself a "birder" but spend the majority of my time photographing birds (at least during the cooler months when nothing else is around) and I've paid a lot of attention to the different list serves and birding websites. I've always been confused on this subject as some people will curse those who use recordings, but they feel it's OK to pish (sp.?) or make bird calls (screech owls for example) to get them in closer. Similarly, there is a European Mew (common) Gull that has arrived in Brooklyn, and a lot of people who posted about its location said "bring lots of bread for all the gulls". But if there was say, a Snowy Owl hanging around and someone said "bring lots of mice" people would be outraged. . . I know there is a SLIGHT difference between a predator like a Snowy and a Gull, but for all intents and purposes you're feeding a wild animal for your personal gain and only because it's a rarity. These things have left me quite confused on whats thought of as "acceptable" or "normal".

That being said, I do have my OWN opinions and my OWN feelings on this, so it's not like I'd be swayed if someone said "oh a lot of birders pish, so therefore it's ok"

- Luke

Hi Ron,
I believe the main argument against using tapes to call birds in is that if done in the breeding season you are distracting them from the very important job of raising their young. As long as the tape is being played and often time for quite a period afterwards the bird will be defending it's territory from the unseen interloper. I used to do some taping with my photography here in the US but I don't carry tapes around any more as I felt like the birds that were coming in were becoming quite agitated as a result of my taping. The native guides on our overseas tours usually carry tapes and I let them use them but only in limited amounts - not for more than 5 minutes with any one bird.

I think there is some difference between using a predator call or mouse squeak or for example pishing as compared to playing tapes of a bird's song. Most of the time when someone is imitating prey or pishing the bird will come in, have a quick look and then go back to doing what it was doing, so in my opinion it's not as much of an intrusion on the bird's routine and energy because the bird does not typically stay there defending it's territory as it would against another singing bird.

Best,
Nate

You may want to read the ABA's statement on Birding Ethics. It addresses the question of attracting birds by recordings: http://www.aba.org/about/ethics.html

Hilke Breder

This subject usually always brings up a heated debate. Some are completely against it, yet I've seen Sir David Attenborough play a taped call in a dvd I have, to bring in a bird to show us, the audience.
I think you have to be very careful, and if you are going to play calls, then keep it very brief and don't hassle the bird, especially a breeding male on territory.
I'm guilty of tapping a tree with a stick to bring in woodpeckers, and I always have a pish when I'm out and about

Wow this is a loaded topic. To me there is something about sitting and waiting that is very therapeutic. I have lots of feeders in my back yard and feel bad when I see a bird fall to a predator. This winter I have lost two. I weigh this against the fact that 300-400 birds utilize my feeders through the winter. How many would not survive or be too weak to breed.

As far as baiting raptors I have never done it and would not except if I could utilize fresh roadkill and put it to use. Sure the raptor could find it road side but what is the chance of it getting hit? I try to use common sense that evolves as I learn more.

Mike

Ron , I don't use any call when out in the woods. I am not opposed to it if it is used intelegently, our presence in the environment is going to make an impace of some kind no matter how we work to minimize it. I feel that the area the type of bird and other factors should weigh in the decesion. If we are in a remote area where there is minimal impact it may be different than in an area with a lot of traffic.

Certain parks around our area actually will fine anyone a pretty hefty sum if they are caught using bird recordings to attract birds, and that sum is almost double if you dare do it during breeding and nesting period. Some parks even close down the paths during nesting.

Hal Trachtenberg
Montreal, Quebec, Canada