- The welfare of birds must always come first.
- Do not damage habitat.
- Keep disturbance to a minimum.
- Never disturb birds at the nest.
- Keeps sites of rare breeding species confidential. If you feel protection is necessary, inform the SOS; we have close co-operation with the RSPB Regional Office.
- Do not harass rare migrants. Consider all the circumstances very carefully before making the sighting known. If necessary keep the sighting secret until the bird has moved on.
- Abide by the legal requirements of the Wildlife & Countryside Act and other legislation at all times.
- Respect the rights of landowners.
- Obey the Countryside Code.
- Respect the rights of other birdwatchers and other countryside users.
- Keep records of important sightings and make sure the SOS receives them through BirdTrack or the County Bird Recorder.
- When bird watching abroad, behave as you would expect to behave in Britain.
Wildlife photographers have a particular responsibility towards their subjects, particularly when working close to nests. For more on this, see the following statement from the Nature Group of the Royal Photographic Society.
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