The following is a question I have been asked with increasing frequency, “should drone operators fly their drones over heron rookeries and other sensitive bird nesting areas?”

One of several unfortunate situations that I have witnessed while observing herons was watching a Great Blue Heron desperately try to escape a drone operator that was harassing it. As the drone operator tried to get close to the bird, the GBHeron flew from one treetop to the next, back and forth across the parking lot at the Lighthouse. Finally, the Heron left the area entirely. Great Blue Herons love to forage there in the marsh and the drone was clearly preventing it from feeding.

In the case of nesting shorebirds and herons, hovering drones are even more traumatic because as much as the parent bird would like to escape the drone, protectively, the bird also does not want to leave its eggs and nestlings. One of the most troubling situations we Plover keepers have to contend with is drone operators flying over nesting shorebirds. It is illegal and considered harassment under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to operate a drone over breeding areas. However, people are either unaware, feign ignorance, or even worse, are aware and simply don’t care. Countless times we have come onto our shifts to find all the birds in the area in complete meltdown mode. At first you may not see the drone and wonder what on earth is making the birds respond in such an extraordinary manner. And then there it is; whether flying high over head or close to the ground, the birds are in utter panic. Because they think the drone is a predator that has come to eat their eggs, hatchlings, or chicks. Oftentimes, the heron or shorebird will try to distract the drone, leaving the nest unattended and in even graver danger from predators.

There is accumulating evidence that the mere presence of drones causes direct harm to birds. The unfamiliarity and noise interrupts courtship, mating, and feeding. Entire tern and heron colonies have abandoned their nests  due to drone disturbances.

Least Tern and two chicks

Over millennia, nesting birds evolved with the constant threat of avian predators, including hawks, falcons, crows, gulls, and eagles. They have not adapted to understand that a drone is not a predator, no matter how much the drone operator protests that the birds are unbothered by the drone and have become used to its presence.

It is imperative for the safety of the birds that they have a healthy fear of drones. The last thing we want are nestlings thinking that hovering airborne shapes are nothing to be afraid of.

In our collective experiences monitoring the Plovers, we come across unethical behavior not only on the part of drone operators but also by fellow wildlife enthusiasts. We have seen photographers mashed up against the symbolically roped off areas, despite massively long telephoto lens, parking themselves for hours on end, and also following the birds relentlessly up and down the beach, despite the bird’s clear signals it is trying to get away and/or tend to its chicks. Early on in the pursuit of my dream to document wildlife, I was part of crowds that photographed owls. Observing how sensitive are owls, I no longer film owls in known locations. If I come across an owl or rare bird when out filming, I take a few photos and footage and go on my way. Crowds and hovering persons are also the reason why I no longer post specific locales and keep location information general.

The American Oystercatcher is a relatively new-to-our-region and wonderful species of shorebird that has been trying to nest in the North of Boston area over the past several years. Tragically, word got out this past spring on one of the birding alert websites telling folks exactly where to look for the pair and their nest. The crowds of photographers was untenable for the nesting parents. With all the unwanted attention, the Oystercatchers became very confused and lost their first nest, where one of the chicks had already hatched! The pair re-nested. Again, word got out, the nesting area was again inundated with photographers and the Oystercatchers abandoned their second nest.

American Oystercatchers, New Jersey

To ethically document wildlife requires thought and is also a tremendous responsibility. We can all do our part to protect the beautiful creatures in our midst by being mindful and sensing their boundaries, especially, especially during the time of year when they are breeding.

Thank you for taking the time to read this information. I hope your question is answered, and why.

Just some of the birds negatively impacted by drones during the breeding season –

Great Blue Herons courting 

Juvenile Glossy ibis