BirdBook is a community of bird enthusiasts, photographers, and nature lovers. These guidelines help us maintain a welcoming, informative, and respectful environment for everyone.
Our Core Values
Respect for Wildlife: Birds and their habitats come first
Accuracy: Honest and accurate species identifications
Kindness: Supportive and encouraging community interactions
Learning: We're all here to learn and share knowledge
Photo Guidelines
Do:
Share your own original bird photographs
Provide accurate information about where and when photos were taken
Credit others if you're sharing a photo with permission
Accept AI identification suggestions as starting points, not gospel
Help others identify birds in their photos
Don't:
Upload photos you don't have rights to share
Share heavily manipulated images that misrepresent the bird
Upload photos of captive birds without disclosure
Intentionally misidentify species
Share graphic images of injured or dead birds without appropriate warnings
Location & Wildlife Ethics
Your Locations Power Conservation
Always upload with location enabled. Precise coordinates turn your sightings into real scientific records — BirdBook contributes occurrence data to conservation organisations and researchers working to protect species, especially threatened ones. BirdBook automatically blurs the publicly displayed location of your posts, so contributing exact coordinates never means broadcasting them.
Keep Sensitive Spots Out of Public Text
Let the platform handle location data — don't manually spell out precise nest, roost, or rare-species locations in captions, comments, or off-platform posts, where poachers or crowds could exploit them. Upload the exact location with your sighting; BirdBook shares it only through controlled conservation channels.
Location Best Practices:
Upload with GPS/location on — exact coordinates make your sightings scientifically valuable
Let BirdBook's automatic display-blurring protect sensitive sites, rather than omitting locations
Don't manually describe precise sensitive locations in public captions or comments
Respect private property - don't trespass for photos
Follow all local wildlife regulations and protected area rules
Ethical Bird Photography:
Never bait, lure, or disturb birds for photographs
Keep a respectful distance - use zoom lenses, not your feet
Don't use playback or calls to attract birds
Leave nesting areas undisturbed
If a bird shows signs of stress, back away immediately
Community Behavior
Be Welcoming:
Encourage beginners - we all started somewhere
Offer constructive feedback on identifications
Share knowledge generously
Celebrate others' discoveries and achievements
Be Respectful:
Treat all members with courtesy and respect
Disagree politely - it's okay to have different opinions on identifications
Don't belittle others for misidentifications
Respect cultural and regional differences in birding practices
Not Tolerated:
Harassment, bullying, or targeted attacks
Hate speech or discrimination of any kind
Spam, self-promotion, or commercial solicitation
Sharing others' personal information without consent
Creating multiple accounts to evade bans
Reporting & Enforcement
How to Report:
If you encounter content or behavior that violates these guidelines: