Similarly but elsewhere, reports abound of birds pursued out of their chosen sites before they can nest or forage; injured birds manhandled for photography purposes instead of being rushed for immediate medical care, which finally succumbed to their injuries (though, to be fair, their deaths unverified due to delayed medical attention); flash photography used that could perhaps have contributed to the demise of recently hatched chicks.
It’s evident people bird for various reasons. Some do so simply because they enjoy watching birds. Some do so because they love to photograph birds, which is thrilling in its own right because of the challenge compared to, say, landscape photography. Some bird for the seemingly prestige of pursuing what others considered to be a privileged hobby as bird photography can be an expensive pursuit. And then there are bird photographers whose main focus is to seek out avian nestings for those supposedly National Geographic moments.
Whatever, many simply disregard what should matter most, ie the bird and its welfare.
I recall a senior birder’s advice not to be disheartened when a bigger bird preys on a smaller one for this is part of the food chain, the survival of the fittest. However if a bird is ‘preyed’ or ‘hounded’ to despair, stress or death, by human beings be it photographers or poachers, then it’s unforgivable, as sometimes happens when a bird is just seen starting to breed, ie build its nest, or there are newly hatched chicks in a nest, and these meet with tragic endings.
So, are over-zealous photographers any better than poachers? And in some cases sharing is certainly not caring?
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