The Best Photography Tips For Bird-Watchers

Photographing wild birds is a challenging pursuit.

- Michael Muchmore

It presents more hurdles than other wildlife photography: Not only are birds able to fly away as soon as you’ve set up the perfect shot—they’re also often obscured by branches, twigs, and foliage or silhouetted against a bright sky. But the challenge is part of the fun, and when you get that one magic shot out of the 400 you took, it’s all worthwhile.

The tips here are not for professional wildlife photographers who use equipment that can easily cost north of $10,000. They’re for the birder who goes on walks trying to see and document as many new species as they can. You’re in good hands, because I’ve made all the mistakes. I hope I can save you from falling victim to the many pitfalls I’ve suffered.

Just as important as any of the tips below is knowing that successful bird photography requires patience and dedication. You’ll often go out on a bird walk and have nothing to show. On other days, you’ll get home and find that you have shots of new bird species you didn’t even realize you saw while you were out there! For those of us who aren’t instant identifiers, having photos is a big help when compiling your list for the outing (and sending it to Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s wonderful eBird site.)

USE THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT

You need at least a 400mm (35mm equivalent) lens—with stabilization. You can use either a DSLR or a good superzoom model such as the Sony RX10 IV or Canon SX70 HS. A favorite bird lens of mine is the Sigma 150–600mm f/5–6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary, which gives you lots of reach, good stabilization, and fast ultrasonic focusing. For more options, read our roundups of the Best Bridge Cameras and the Best DSLR and Mirrorless Camera Lenses (scroll down to the telephoto section).

SHOOT IN SHUTTER PRIORITY