The Bird Aware Coastal Code
Every visit to the coast is a chance to connect with nature. And the good news is, by following a few simple steps, we can help protect coastal birds by reducing the amount we disturb them.
The Coastal Code
Just follow the Bird Aware Coastal Code and: look out for birds; move away if they become alert to our presence; keep dogs along side us; and follow requests on signs.
By giving birds lots of space, they won’t get spooked by us or our dogs, and won’t waste energy moving away, which gives us the best chance of them coming back next year and doing well in the future.
Thanks to everyone for staying ‘bird aware’ and looking out for our amazing coastal birds.
Look out for birds
Look carefully for any coastal birds who may be sharing the coastline you’re visiting. If you see birds on an area of the beach, it makes sense to avoid that area completely so they can rest or feed undisturbed. Quite a few of our coastal birds, like dunlins, turnstones, ringed plovers and sanderlings, are very well camouflaged, particularly on shingle. They can be quite hard to spot unless you look really carefully.
Move further away if birds become alert
If birds start looking towards you, it might mean you’ve got a little too close so just move a bit further away. Signs that birds have become aware of you and are getting ready for flight include: lifting their heads or turning their heads in your direction; crying out; stretching or flapping their wings; walking or swimming away.
If you think birds are becoming alert to your presence, it’s a good idea to move further away.
Keep dogs alongside you
Even the best behaved dogs can seem like a threat to a bird. You can help to minimise disturbance by keeping dogs close to you, well away from where the birds are feeding and resting. If you want to let your dog off the lead to run around, it’s best to use an area where birds don’t choose to rest and feed. If birds are disturbed by dogs and fly away, they use up valuable energy and may have missed a limited opportunity for feeding that day.
For great tips for walking your dog on the coast, visit our Coast and Country Canines pages.
Follow requests on signs
In particularly sensitive areas, you’ll find signs which give you more information about protecting the wildlife on the shore. If there’s a path on the area of the coast you’re visiting, using it can be a great way to make sure you’re minimising disturbance to birds.
