Shooting birds in the city and obtaining the best photos

A large number of individuals turned to bird photography during the worldwide epidemic. While many of those people moved to the countryside, others of us remained in major cities. Unbelievably, photographing birds can be done in large cities. In fact, we examined a huge number of lenses that support this. In light of our experiences, we are providing readers with some advice on how to take pictures of birds in urban areas.

list of contents

Install a bird feeder or birdbath nearby
Start early in the day and observe their habits while walking about. Tips for Taking Better Bird Photos
Recommended Cameras and Lenses for Capturing Birds in Urban Environments
ORDER A BIRD FEEDER OR BIRDBATH IN YOUR AREA

It could appear obvious, am I right? Bring the birds to you rather than going out and looking for them! A few techniques have been seen that individuals use to attract birds to their windows or nearby. On some people’s windowsills, they leave bird seed. Additionally, we’ve seen people leaving fruits and nuts on their fire escapes or windows. On my balcony, I have a birdbath that I sometimes fill.

If you lack the room, seek for nearby parks, lakes, community gardens, etc. to use instead. One amazing concept is to suspend a birdfeeder from a kind of line. If you have a vintage clothes line in your house, consider suspending a feeder from it.

To discover a technique to get the birds to visit at various times throughout the day is the rationale for doing these things. Most of the time, birds are searching for food. Therefore, you have the chance to take pictures of birds if you can persuade them to visit your house or other location and collect some food. The birds should ideally be higher up than ground level. We have seen people throwing rice for the birds near trees. This isn’t always secure and won’t provide appealing pictures. The backgrounds could be too chaotic. It is best to leave fruit on a dish out on a window sill or fire escape.

START THE DAY EARLY
The first thing you need to know about photographing birds in cities is that they are active in the morning. At dawn, you could sometimes see them and hear them. Other times, you’ll see them congregating in certain trees around 9 or 10 in the morning. The finest light is usually available earlier in the day when people are on route to work.

There are many various areas to look if you’re in a city. The majority of animal and bird photography takes place in natural settings. However, the fact is that since there are so many free food sources in major cities, lots of birds flock there. While many people visit Central Park in NYC to take pictures of birds, my favorite location is Forest Park in Queens, New York.

Find any fruit and berry trees nearby. These trees and shrubs are popular eating spots for birds. Sometimes someone may dump a bagel on the ground in parks. The birds will eat it if the squirrels don’t.

Pigeons and sparrows are often seen while photographing birds in urban areas, which is one of the major challenges. But if you know what they eat, you can locate other birds.

Here are a few of the most prevalent birds, as listed by What Birds are in my Backyard. We did some research to include what they consume as well.

Peanuts and sunflower seeds, Blue Jay. Check to see whether the nuts have been salted.
Fruits, berries, and earthworms, says the American Robin.
Northern Cardinal: Fruits, grains, and seeds from sunflowers.
American Crow: Berries, seeds, nuts, and grains.
Bird with a black cap: berries, seeds, and insects.
Sunflower seeds, broken maize, and shelled peanuts for the mourning dove.
Seeds of the American Goldfinch
Insects, berries, and seeds for the European starling.
Song Sparrow: Berry, seed, and insect food.
Beatle larvae, Downy Woodpecker.
Blackbird with red wings: Wheat, maize, and insects.
Sparrow in the House: Grains and Seeds
Rice, grains, and seeds for the common grackle.
Foods, seeds, and nuts for the red-bellied woodpecker.
a blend of seeds and peanut butter for the white-breasted nuthatch.
Tufted Titmouse: Nuts and seeds from sunflowers.
Junco with dark eyes: Seeds, weeds, and insects.
Blackberries, cherries, elderberries, poison ivy, greenbrier, bay, and insects are among the food sources for gray catbirds.
GO FOR A WALK and observe their habits.

Birds in a given area tend to establish patterns and habits. Pay attention to them. There are certain trees in my area that the cardinals, blue jays, sparrows, wrens, and blackbirds like visiting. Furthermore, certain Mourning Doves prefer to sit in particular locations. These birds may not frequent particular locations every day, but they might stop by once or twice a week.

ADVICE FOR TAKEN BIRDS PHOTOS
Here are some pointers for taking pictures of birds in urban areas.

Purchase a polarizing filter if you want to shoot out of a window sill. The reflections will be reduced.
Use the bird autofocus option if your camera has one. The finest outcomes will always be obtained while photographing a bird in a tree.
Use the lowest practicable focusing point if your camera doesn’t offer bird autofocus options. If at all possible, try to keep it fixed on the bird’s neck, but preferably aim for the face. If a bird (such a goose, swan, or duck) doesn’t have a lengthy neck, its neck is often within reach of its face.
Here, telephoto lenses are advised. The backdrop is softened and the bird is in focus in the finest bird shots.

Breathe deeply and move slowly.
Your camera and lens will be pointed up quite a bit. So, increase the ISO to 1600–6400, and wherever possible, apply picture stabilization.
Try to choose a shutter choice that is silent. Because moving shutters might create problems, I personally avoid using them.
While single autofocus is preferable for other photography choices, continuous focusing is necessary in certain circumstances.
Make use of your lens’s focus limiter.

RECOMMENDED LENSES AND CAMERAS FOR TAKENING PICTURES OF BIRD IN CITIES