8 Beginner Tips for Better Bird Photography

If you enjoy nature and want to try your hand at photographing birds, this article will give you some pointers to get started. Follow these beginner bird photography tips and they will help you go home with better photos and more keepers.

Bird Photography Tips

#1 The clothing you wear matters

Hunters that go for game birds dress up in camouflage for a reason.

Doing the same for photography will increase your odds of getting closer to your subject.

wildlife photographer dressed in camouflage with his camera so the birds dont see him
Wildlife photographer dressed in camo with camo camera gear.

Birds are very social and active animals.

They are almost always aware of your presence and you are not going to sneak up on them unnoticed.

But you can gain a small advantage of not spooking them by dressing in clothing that blends in with your surroundings.

Go as far as your passion and wallet can afford.

Camouflage everything including hats, pants, long sleeve shirts, gloves, your lens, and wrap camo tape around your tripod if you’re using one.

Do you NEED camouflage gear to photograph birds?

If you don’t have full-blown camouflage gear when trying to photograph birds, just try and stay away from bright colors.

Choosing the right clothing isn’t going to completely prevent you from getting great bird photos, but it may give you better opportunities to get closer.

#2 Move slowly

If you’re walking a trail, road, or wherever, you want to be moving at a slow pace.

If you spot a bird that you want to photograph, take an initial shot just to get the picture.

It may be a rare bird. At least you got that one shot even if it’s not good.

If the bird is stationary, such as on a fence, or tree branch, start to make small steps towards the bird after you take that first image.

a pink and white spoonbill walking out from the mangroves in Fort Myers Florida, a great place for bird photography
Spoonbill walking out from the mangroves, Fort Myers, Florida. 1/800 sec, ISO 110, 300mm f/4

Take one step, then shoot.

Take one ore step more and take another shot.

Then wait 5-10 seconds before you attempt to move any closer to the bird.

By doing this you are showing the bird that you are not an immediate threat. Keep in mind though, that depending on the bird, eventually, you will get too close and spook it.

For birds that are at ground level, I will usually get on my stomach and shoot from the same eye level as the bird.

Slowly crawl forward, waiting 10 seconds or so before I inch any closer.

You don’t want to appear tall and big to birds that are hanging out on the ground.

If they are up high in the trees, and there’s a certain bird you are trying to photograph, you obviously do not want to be on your stomach. But you still want to move slowly.

This yellow-shafted northern flicker (Colaptes auratus) is photographed on a golf course in Florida.
Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker on a golf course, Fort Myers, Florida. Also known as Alabama’s state bird, Yellowhammer 1/400 sec, ISO 100, 300mm f/4

Patience is so important when getting good photographs of birds.

This is especially true with rarer birds that are within your proximity and view.

#3 Learn some bird calls and songs

If you are trying to build a list of different bird species photographed, you need to learn the common songs of the birds that are in your area.

But, if you just want to photograph any bird, then this tip really isn’t that important.

What do I do if there is a rare bird sighting in my area?

If there happens to be a rare bird sighting in your area, you have two options.

  1. You can either use sheer luck to try and find and photograph it, which is not likely.
  2. Or you can listen to pre-recorded calls of the bird.

Once you hear the song out in the field, you can determine if that’s the bird you want to pursue and photograph.

#4 Always keep your lens cap off

I’ve missed many opportunities to get some epic wildlife photos because I had my lens cap on. So now I take it off when leaving home and set my camera on the passenger seat.

American bald eagle perched in a tree
American Bald eagle perched on a tree branch, Fort Myers, Florida. 300mm, f/4, 1/640 sec, ISO 140

So when you are about to go out on your hike to find birds, your lens cap needs to be off.

If you are worried about the front lens element getting damaged, either get a high-quality UV filter or attach a lens hood.

With that being said, make sure your camera is set up for bird photography.

#5 Optimal camera settings for bird photography

If you do a lot of landscapes or portraits your camera may be set to ISO 100 with a shutter speed of 1/160th of a second.

In most cases, that is not going to work well when photographing birds, especially if you are using a long lens.

So let’s look at some optimal camera settings for birds:

Shutter speed

Your shutter speed should be at least twice that of your focal length or more.

For example, if you have a 420mm lens, you should be shooting at a shutter speed of 1/800th of a second, preferably 1/1000th.

two burrowing owls perched on a wooden sign
Two cute Burrowing Owls perched on wood sign, Cape Coral, Florida. 300mm f/4, f/4, 1/640 sec. ISO 200

I know that some owls stay stationary when perched on tree branches. Kestrels stay fairly still when hunting and eating sometimes, but most birds are on the move especially small songbirds.

So keep that shutter speed fast to get more keepers.

American Kestral with a Meal, Thornton, Colorado
American Kestral with a Meal, Thornton, Colorado. 300mm f/4, f/5.6, 1/1250, ISO 180

ISO and Aperture

Set your ISO to auto with a maximum between 1600 and 3200, depending on your camera body and the amount of available light.

Next shoot with your aperture wide open. This will allow you to jack up the shutter speed.

Drive and Autofocus

Set your camera’s drive mode to continuous or burst mode.

There are situations when you may want to set this to quiet (W or silent) burst mode though.

Set the autofocus to Continuous mode, single point.

There are instances where back button focus works, such as photographing birds in flight, but this takes a lot of practice and I wouldn’t recommend it for beginners.

Black-capped Chickadee perched on some rocks
Black-capped Chickadee perched on some rocks. 300mm f/4, f/4, 1/500 sec, ISO 100

Start with those settings failed in before you head out to photograph birds in the wild.

When the bird you want to photograph is in your view, it only takes half a second of fumbling around with your camera settings to cause you to miss the shot. Or you might get a blurry shot because your camera wasn’t set up properly.

#6 Buy the longest lens you can afford

In most types of photography, the technique used can overcome gear. For bird photography, however, the length of your lens is the most important thing.

bird photography tips - buy the longest lens you can afford. I photographed this American dipper on ice by a fast-flowing river, Colorado with a 300mm nikon lens
American dipper on ice by a fast-flowing river, Colorado. 300mm f/4, f/4, 1/640 sec, ISO 180

What are some good beginner lenses for bird photography?

There are two types of beginner lenses that come to mind that both Nikon and Canon make.

  1. The 70-300mm f/5.6 is a good starting point.
  2. The 300mm f/4 is even better.

But if you plan on doing a lot of bird photography, you will not regret getting that lens despite the fact it is way more expensive.

a good lens for beginner bird photography is a long lens. I was able to capture this Dark Eyed Junco in Red Rocks, Colorado with a long lens
Dark Eyed Junco, Red Rocks, Colorado, 300mm f/4, f/7.1, 1/500 sec, ISO 100, Tripod

You also have the option of adding a teleconverter to these prime lenses which can increase the focal length from 1.4x up to 2.0x.

The only drawback is you will lose a stop of light with the 1.4 converter, and 3 stops with the 2.0.

When and where to practice your bird photography?

#7 The best time to photograph birds

Birds are most active right before sunrise, and continue to be active for a few hours after the sun rises.

Early bird gets the worm, and the early photographer gets the bird.

a good list of bird photography tips always includes getting up early as it's the best time to photograph birds like this Northern Mockingbird
Northern Mockingbird, the state bird of Florida. 300mm f/4, f/4, 1/640 sec, ISO 250

This is when most activity happens because birds are actively feeding in the morning. There is also better light which is a plus.

#8 Where to practice photographing birds

Bird feeders are great places to get practice photographing birds.

An American Robin photographed singing a song
Singing a Song. The American robin is the state bird of Connecticut, Michigan, and Wisconsin. 300mm f/4, f/6.3, 1/800 sec, ISO 400

This is going to give you ample opportunities to get your techniques down pat.

If you live near the ocean, the beaches are also hot spots for birds, especially in the morning. There can literally be thousands of birds in one area feeding on baitfish right at the shore.

Lakes are also money for high-volume bird activity.

Think about bird food.

Wherever there is food there are going to be birds.

Big lakes are usually swimming with fish. Fish are bird food, so . . .

So look for fishing spots around docks and bridges near the ocean.

bird photography tip #8 - look for birds like this brown pelican, near beaches and places birds eat
Brown Pelican on Estero Beach Lagoon, Fort Myers Beach, Florida. 300mm f/4, f/4, 1/1250 sec, ISO 100

The easiest types of birds to photograph are pelicans.

They usually don’t mind you getting too close. They don’t move really fast, and when they do fly, the do so in straight lines and move pretty slowly.

So they are great birds to practice honing your bird photography skills.

If you are near the ocean, find a dock where people are fishing. You will be greeted with photographic opportunities of many pelicans, herons, gulls, and other birds that won’t mind being photographed.

Bird photography tips and camera settings for getting your best bird pictures. Learn how to photograph birds, birds in flight, etc.. Especially good article for beginners.

bird photography tips for beginners

Conclusion

Now that you have these 8 bird photography tips, you’re ready to go out and give it a try.

If you aren’t ready to commit to buying a big lens just yet, try renting or borrowing one from a friend to see if you enjoy this kind of first.

Remember to get out there and practice as often as possible, Please share some of your bird photos in the comment area below and if you have any questions, please ask.

dave spates bird photographer


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