BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

They might just do it.

N4646W

OK,?? If bird #1 (your bird) is tapping away on a tree, and another bird (bird #2) is tapping away on another tree, and bird #1 goes to tree that bird #2 is tapping on, bird #2 is stressing bird #1 and and bird #2 is guilty of unethical behavior. I really doubt it would hold up in court, but today it just might. But then bird #2 might go after #1 for infringing on territory. Also if you were tapping on tree #3 and both birds ignored you, there is good reason to start seeking mental help for stress and abandonment.

I just love this PC world we have allowed to happen. At least I get a few good chuckles every day.

Ron

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Someone call the bird cops.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

Tap the rhythm on the empty head of that person. As a kid at my Grandpa/ma house early in the AM whipper wills were chatting and I joined in ....ethics-smetics ... bull. Tap as you will, The bird feels not alone and so is more relaxed.. right?

bull drink water Loc: pontiac mi.

gee I remember a time when we actually learned to imitate bird calls.

gwong1 Loc: Tampa, FL

Not in the least. I was on an Audubon birding trip and the guide used the Audubon App to call birds in for viewing. This is not different. Gary

KGOldWolf

Gene51 makes a very good point. There is a huge debate going on within nature photography magazines regarding "baiting". I don't know if tapping on a tree amounts to baiting but baiting owls is at the heart of the controversy. In the case of owls, photographers and videographers have been releasing mice to lure an owl to get a shot of a predator's feeding plunge. Very impressive to see an owl with wings outstretched and talons extended. However it is argued that this changes the owls behavior around humans. I think that is a valid point and personally would not do it. As for tapping on trees to attract attention, that is a grey area and I think far less potentially harmful so, no, I don't think tree tapping is unethical.... just my two cents.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

During mating season some folks will use their cell phones to call in the birds who are looking for a mate. The birds fine no mate when they come and it can cause a problem. Yes, people do this to try to lure the bird in close for a photo. I doubt your tapping did much but deliberately calling in a bird just to look at them or photograph them is wrong on so many levels.

Robert R Loc: Indianapolis and Naples

That is a new one, tapping on a tree with a knife to attract sapsuckers. I do not see any harm to the bird in this case. The tap tap tap that most birders recognize as a sapsucker is the bird making small holes in the tree, and returning for any insects trapped in the sap. I am also aware of many birders and guides play tapes to attract birds. I have found some birds answer a taped call, while others ignore it. I am a volunteer at Corkscrew Swamp in Naples, and the sanctuary does not permit tapes being used. The reason is that on a boardwalk of 2.25 miles, there may be several hundred birders on the trail at any time. If everyone on the boardwalk was playing a tape, say for a white-eyed vireo, the confusion to birds and birders alike is self evident. If tapes or tapping are used in isolated areas, I do not have a problem with that.

Howard5252 Loc: New York / Florida (now)

Most of the posts are about what people "THINK" is the correct answer to the OP. How about we take a look at what The Audubon Society has to say about the matter. From the Audubon Link listed by Gene51 ... "Playback of bird voices to lure them close for photography should be used sparingly, and not at all in the case of endangered birds, or birds at critical points in their nesting cycle."
I think it would be safe to say that tapping is equivalent to using a birds voice (if it weren't, why do it?)

par4fore Loc: Bay Shore N.Y.

I'm part of a bird club. One of our members was feeding a red tailed hawk on a regular basis to get photos. The hawk got so use to it, that the hawk was knocking the hat off his head when he showed up. The hawk had to be rescued and it turned out it was a rescued hawk that was released years earlier. I also heard of people flushing out Snowy owls resting on Jones Beach for the sake of photo. So to me there is a limit to interference of nature for photos. That said, I play bird songs in my yard and put out seed all year long.

Tom G Loc: Atlanta, GA

Excellent reply

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Stressing the bird?! Wearing a cat suit and running after it would be stressing it. You tapped on a tree, and it flew to you. Where's the stress? Gluing it to the tree so you could get the shot would have been stressful.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

What is ethical to one person may not be ethical to a second person. Who is right? It is up to you to decide!

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

This topic sure took on a life of its own. Here is some official information related to it:
http://www.audubon.org/get-outside/audubons-guide-ethical-bird-photography
Note the later paragraphs.

I personally feel the bottom line on this is, it depends on whose land you are photo birding on as to what the rules of behavior are. In most locales the OP tap tap conversation with a sapsucker would be of no consequence. I know Gene51 and I are in the minority opinion here but, on some nature preserves "messin' with the birds minds like that" could get you arrested or at least asked to leave. I too in my more active days used to bird with just binoculars and no camera.

My educational background is in the field of Biology, with some ecology classes tossed in. I have some personal experience about the rules concerning human and animal behaviors while in the wild or more so on a public nature preserve. BLM or Private lands are another story. And private nature institutions like the Audubon Society or Nature Conservancy can be very restrictive or conservative about their lands and animals.

While working on my degree in biology I took a class with a field ecology component. For a couple weeks my class plus a few other similar classes (field botany, herpetology, etc.) were invited to visit, tour and observe an Audubon Society property that was once a large ranch. At the time there was a nesting pair of Red-tail Hawks on the property. That was interesting. We were obviously told to keep clear of the tree they were in. No issue there occurred. We had been given a set of rules and told not to approach any of the wild animals. For drawing them from their nests or hiding places or interrupting their feeding was considered harassment. I believe this was during my personal second visit to the ranch. We had broken up into random groups of students each with one professor and a near by Audubon associate. The university professor that I happened to be with on this field trip taught Herpetology among the classes he taught. We happened upon a Rattlesnake and so he got the "brilliant" yet immature idea of demonstrating his snake catching abilities with a couple students who followed him into the brush after the poor snake. The snake was not harmed but those of us, like myself, not fond of snakes, were a bit stressed about walked away from the area and situation. The Audubon Associate was aware of what happened. Later back at the university I heard through the grape-vine that the university was asked not to return to the Audubon preserve again. This caused a rather nasty argument between a few of the professors who now lost an educational resource for their students because one adult professor had to act like a high school kid over a snake. He just could not stand to observe the snake, had to touch it. This was around 1994 so I would assume the University healed relations with the local Audubon society by now.

Do note, I certainly do not think the Audubon Society is perfect and certainly not at the preserve I am talking about. They them selves did something I observed that could be just as obnoxious towards their animals. I won't go into that other than to say it involved the fore mentioned Hawks. A further note, I later unfortunately had to take the subject professor for an ecology class. He really is a jerk. That is a long story in it self!