Bird photography is a challenging but rewarding genre of photography that involves capturing images of birds in their natural habitats. It can be an exciting and rewarding pastime. Conversely, it can be the most frustrating experience and akin to threading jelly through a needle. Where to find them, what time of day are they most active, which lens to use, and what settings to use? Of course, you can follow all the advice and still come home with no images. I have often struck this problem, mainly because they are too high in the trees or just not around.

Bird Hotspots

For me, the biggest problem with bird photography is finding the birds. Of course, birds are all around us in streets, gardens, and parks, but they are sparrows, crows, magpies etc. Twitchers (bird watchers) post their sightings all the time. But finding the robins, hawks, rosellas, parrots, and cockatoos (apart from the prolific Sulpher crested) can be a skill in itself. Not to mention finding them within the range limits of your lens.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology runs a great website called eBird. On there, you can search for bird hotspots, submit your findings, or find where a particular species are. For your mobile, there is Merlin. Merlin also has free bird packs to download to your phone, giving bird information, calls, locations etc. It’s a great starting point.

Learning the bird’s behaviour is also a great help in predicting what it will do. It is equally important to know the time of day they are most active, what months they are in what area, etc. Behaviour-wise, for example, birds always fly off in the direction they face, and if they raise their tail and release faecal matter, they are about to take off.

Equipment

For bird photography, you must have a camera with a long lens. The longer, the better. On my Olympus micro-four-thirds, I have the Olympus 40-150mm with a 2x extender giving me 600mm. A 300mm lens will work ok (esp on micro four-thirds, where it translates to 600mm or a crop sensor, where it’s around 450mm). If you have a full-frame camera – you need something that’s at least 400mm, preferably up to 600mm. You can get away with less, but most of the time, it will require heavy cropping.

One way around that is using Topaz Gigapixel – it will make your cropped image up to 6x larger without losing quality. (they have a free 30-day trial too)

Camera modes

Firstly, shoot RAW. It gives you a higher-resolution image and more flexibility in editing, including the ability to change your white balance. Exposure compensation is also convenient to use when you are trying to balance shutter speed and light. You can adjust the exposure via the + to deliberately overexpose a bit if your subject is very dark. Consider putting the camera on silent mode so as not to startle the bird. Always use high-speed continuous and fire off short bursts of shots.

Camera Settings

Manual Mode

For perched birds, either nesting or on branches, go for ISO 100-200 in good light or Auto ISO on cloudy or low-light days. It helps to know how high an ISO your camera can handle before the image becomes noisy. You can then set the maximum ISO on your camera and use Auto ISO for birds. Select auto white balance and an F-stop of F4-5.6 to separate the bird from the background. Then, focus on the bird’s eye. For perched birds, go for a shutter speed of 1/500 to 1/1000

For birds in flight – you need a much faster shutter speed and continuous-servo autofocus (CAF). The shutter speed will also depend on how fast the bird flies. Birds like pelicans lumber along and are easy to catch in flight; smaller birds such as swallows, terns or the peregrine falcon are swift flyers. For these birds, you need a superfast shutter speed.

1. Use a fast lens with a long focal length: A fast lens with a long focal length, such as a 70-300mm or a 100-400mm, will allow you to capture birds in motion from a distance.
2. Choose a fast shutter speed: Start with a shutter speed of at least 1/2000th of a second or faster to freeze the motion of the birds in flight.
3. Use continuous autofocus mode: Switch to continuous autofocus mode to ensure that the camera is continuously tracking the bird as it moves.
4. Track the bird’s movement: Anticipate the bird’s movement and follow it with the camera, keeping the bird in the centre of the frame.
5. Experiment with burst mode: Use burst mode to capture a series of images in quick succession, increasing your chances of capturing a sharp, in-focus shot.
6. Pay attention to the background: Make sure the background is simple and not distracting, as it will draw the viewer’s eye away from the bird.
7. Be patient and persistent: Birds in flight can be elusive and difficult to capture, so be patient and persistent in your pursuit of great bird flight images.

Shutter Priority Mode

Shutter priority mode (also known as “Tv” mode) is a useful setting for bird photography as it allows you to control the shutter speed while the camera automatically sets the aperture to achieve the proper exposure. This mode is particularly helpful in capturing fast-moving birds, as you can set a fast shutter speed to freeze the motion.

1. Choose a fast shutter speed: Start with a shutter speed of at least 1/1000th of a second or faster. A fast shutter speed will help freeze the motion of the bird and reduce the risk of camera shake.
2. Use a tripod or bean bag for stability: Since you will be using a fast shutter speed, it’s important to have a stable platform to minimize camera shake and improve image quality.
3. Experiment with different shutter speeds: Try different shutter speeds to see the effect on the final image. Slower shutter speeds can create a sense of motion, while faster shutter speeds will freeze the motion.
4. Watch the aperture: The camera will automatically adjust the aperture to achieve the proper exposure, but keep an eye on the aperture value and adjust the ISO if necessary.
5. Use burst mode: using burst mode to capture a series of photos in quick succession, increases your chances of getting a sharp shot.
6. Be mindful of the lighting conditions: Keep in mind that you may need to adjust the shutter speed or ISO based on the lighting conditions. In low light, you may need to use a slower shutter speed or increase the ISO.

By using shutter priority mode and following these tips, you can capture sharp, dynamic bird images that show the beauty and grace of these creatures in motion.

Focus Points

Finding the subject in the frame is often tricky when using a long zoom lens. Spot metering and a centre focus point is usually the most sensitive and accurate focus point, making it a good choice for bird photography. However, experiment and try different focus points to see which one works best for your camera and the situation. I always use back-button focus: as it allows me to separate the focus and exposure functions of the camera. This will allow you to focus on the bird and lock the focus, allowing you to recompose the shot without the camera refocusing. Another point to remember – keep the bird’s eye in focus: When photographing birds, it’s important to keep the bird’s eye in focus as this is the most critical part of the bird to keep sharp.

Approaching birds

Research your subject: Learn about the birds you want to photograph, including their behaviour, habitat, and preferred food sources. This will help you anticipate their movements and get the shots you want. Getting close enough to get the shot is one of the most challenging parts of bird photography. Some birds will allow you to get quite close. Others are skittish and maintain a considerable distance (hello, long lens).

Try to blend in with your surroundings by wearing neutral-coloured clothing and using a camouflage cloth for your gear. Do not wear white, red or bright clothing; you need to blend into the surroundings. I have seen some very dedicated photographers wearing full camo clothing, including camo coverings on their cameras and lenses. That’s a bit extreme for me, so I dress in blues or khaki/tans. Avoid feeding birds or using bait to lure them, as this can lead to unnatural behaviour and negatively impact the birds’ health.

Walk quietly without chatter to minimise disturbance. If you spot a bird, walk slowly towards it. Try not to approach it when the bird is watching you, and walk forward slowly at a zig-zag angle. When you raise the camera to take a shot, do it slowly—no sudden movements. If possible, let the birds come to you. If you learn their behaviour and habitat, you can take a chair, bottle of water or thermos and settle down and wait for them. Then they aren’t taking off and fleeing when you suddenly appear on the scene.

Practice

Start with the ducks and magpies if you are a beginner at bird photography. Take a bag of seeds for the ducks (never feed them bread). Ducks and Pelicans are usually acclimated to human interaction. On one lake, I visited all the ducks, geese and swans swarmed toward any newcomer arriving as they were used to people feeding them. Photographing them will give you experience in getting the settings and compositions right. Next, look for walkthrough aviaries; you are guaranteed to get shots there. In Melbourne, both Melbourne Zoo and Serendip Sanctuary have walkthrough aviaries. Healesville Zoo has a daily bird of prey show.

Ten top tips

1. Use a fast lens with a long focal length to capture birds in motion.
2. Use a tripod or bean bag for stability.
3. Keep a fast shutter speed to freeze motion and avoid camera shake.
4. Use a high ISO to achieve faster shutter speeds in low light.
5. Pre-focus on a specific spot where you expect the bird to fly or perch.
6. Make use of continuous autofocus mode to track moving birds.
7. Experiment with different perspectives, such as shooting from above or below the bird.
8. Use natural light or flash to create proper exposure and add depth to your photos.
9. Pay attention to the background to avoid distracting elements or unwanted clutter.
10. Patience and persistence are key, as birds can be elusive and take time to observe and capture.

One last bit of advice

Get up early or stay out late: The best light for bird photography is often found in the early morning or late afternoon. Make a point to learn from the experts, look for bird photography workshops or classes, or study the work of professional bird photographers. YouTube holds a wealth of information and tutorials on bird photography.