1. Who these rules apply to
These rules apply to travelers, organizers, account holders and anyone providing content for BirdWatch.info. They form part of our Terms of Use. They apply to listings, profiles, photographs, videos, testimonials and communications made through the platform.
BirdWatch helps people discover independent birding experiences and make inquiries. We may help prepare or edit content, but a listing is not a certification, a guarantee of sightings or confirmation that a booking has been accepted.
2. Accurate and useful listings
- Describe the actual provider, location, route, duration, guiding format, activity level and relevant restrictions. Distinguish a private guiding service from a scheduled group departure.
- Give the correct currency, pricing basis, conditions and known mandatory charges. Do not use misleading starting prices, invented discounts, false scarcity or dates that are no longer offered.
- Explain material inclusions, exclusions, meeting arrangements, cancellation terms and any minimum group requirement. Where a detail needs a quote or confirmation, use the appropriate “On request” option rather than inventing it.
- Keep information current and tell BirdWatch promptly about a cancellation, material change, safety issue or service you can no longer provide.
- Describe likely wildlife opportunities honestly. Never present target species, historic sightings or illustrative photographs as guaranteed encounters.
- Support claims about qualifications, permits, insurance, accessibility, awards, partnerships and conservation contributions with evidence.
Listings should be finished, readable information for travelers. Do not publish placeholders, research notes, internal correspondence or conflicting package details.
3. Inquiries and customer information
Initial customer inquiries should use the BirdWatch form on the relevant tour page. Public tour and organizer fields must not contain direct operator email addresses, phone or WhatsApp numbers, external booking links, social contact links, QR codes or documents that bypass this inquiry route, unless BirdWatch has expressly authorized an exception.
Provide operational contact details and source information privately to BirdWatch. This public-content rule does not prevent an organizer from supplying its legally required identity, terms and contact details during a booking discussion or from communicating appropriately after an introduction.
Respond clearly to genuine inquiries. Do not pressure travelers, send unsolicited bulk messages, harvest leads or add people to marketing lists without a lawful basis. Information received about a traveler must be used only for the requested service and other independently lawful purposes. Our Privacy Policy explains the platform's handling of inquiries.
4. Photographs, video and intellectual property
Only submit material you own, are authorized to use or may lawfully reuse under a suitable license. Supply accurate credits and any license or use restrictions. Do not remove watermarks or attribution, impersonate a photographer, copy competing listings or assume that a publicly visible image is free to use.
Images must be relevant to the experience and must not misleadingly suggest a guaranteed sighting or a location where the species does not occur. Do not present synthetic or materially manipulated media as documentary evidence of a real sighting, guest experience or qualification.
Obtain the necessary permissions for identifiable people, private property and guest stories. Take particular care with children. Keep private customer messages, identity documents, booking details and sensitive personal information out of public content. The Terms of Use explain the publication permission you grant to BirdWatch.
5. Reviews and testimonials
Reviews must describe a real experience and reflect the author's honest views. Do not invent a reviewer, impersonate a guest, buy fabricated reviews, review your own business as an independent traveler, or suppress criticism through threats.
When supplying a guest testimonial, retain evidence of its source and the author's permission where required. Disclose a relevant relationship, incentive or complimentary experience. Do not make an incentive conditional on a positive rating. Editing or translating a review must preserve its meaning.
Unless a specific verification method is explained beside a review, do not assume BirdWatch independently verified the author's booking or every factual statement. We may request evidence or remove misleading, unlawful or privacy-infringing material. A fair negative opinion is not, by itself, a reason for removal.
6. Respectful conduct and platform security
No threats, harassment, hate speech, unlawful discrimination, sexual exploitation, doxxing or deliberate deception. Relevant and proportionate participation requirements may be explained respectfully; they must not disguise unlawful exclusion.
Do not spam, distribute malware, attempt unauthorized access, evade an account restriction, misuse reporting tools, scrape personal information or overload the service. Report a security concern privately to support and avoid accessing or disclosing other people's data. Ordinary lawful indexing and uses protected by law are addressed in the Terms.
7. Wildlife, habitats and local communities
- Follow local laws, access conditions, permit requirements and protected-area instructions. Respect landowners and local communities; do not trespass for a sighting.
- Keep a suitable distance from birds, nests, roosts and breeding areas. Stop or move away when your presence changes an animal's behavior or creates disturbance.
- Use playback, lighting, hides, feeding and drones only where lawful and consistent with species welfare and local conservation guidance. Do not advertise harmful practices as a benefit.
- Do not collect wildlife, eggs or nests, facilitate illegal wildlife trade, damage habitat or leave litter.
- Do not publicly disclose precise locations of sensitive species where doing so could increase disturbance, persecution or collection risks. Report sensitive-location concerns privately.
- Respect group limits and the safety of travelers, guides and bystanders. Never encourage risky behavior to obtain a photograph.
Organizers should explain their birding code before activities begin. Travelers should follow lawful safety and conservation instructions and raise concerns promptly.
8. Before a traveler commits
Make genuine inquiries, provide accurate contact details and obtain permission before supplying another person's information. Confirm the organizer's identity, total cost, dates, services, payment recipient and cancellation conditions in writing. A submitted inquiry does not reserve a place.
Discuss accessibility and relevant participation needs privately with the organizer. Do not send unnecessary medical details, identity documents or financial credentials through a general inquiry. Verify unexpected payment changes through an established contact. For immediate danger, contact the appropriate local emergency service; BirdWatch support is not an emergency response service.
9. Report a problem
Email support@birdwatch.info with a clear subject such as “Content report”, “Copyright concern” or “Safety concern”. Include:
- The exact page URL and the content or conduct you are reporting.
- A factual explanation of the concern and relevant supporting evidence, with unrelated personal information removed.
- For a rights complaint, identification of the work or right and your authority to act for its holder.
- A contact address for follow-up, where appropriate, and a statement that the information is accurate to the best of your knowledge.
If contacting us anonymously is necessary for your safety, explain that where you can; limited information may affect our ability to investigate or respond. Privacy requests may instead be sent to privacy@birdwatch.info. Do not post allegations or sensitive evidence in unrelated public fields.
We assess reports on their facts and may seek clarification. A report does not automatically establish wrongdoing. We cannot promise absolute confidentiality where disclosure is legally required or necessary to investigate fairly, but avoid sharing unnecessary personal information.
10. How we respond and review decisions
Depending on the evidence and seriousness, we may seek corrections or additional information, add context, restrict visibility, remove material or restrict an account. Repeated or serious breaches can result in suspension or termination. Urgent safety, fraud or legal risks may require immediate action.
Where appropriate and lawful, we will give the affected contributor a reason and explain how to seek review. Mandatory notice and complaint safeguards apply where required by law. Review is contextual; publication does not mean that every item has been checked in advance.
To challenge a decision, reply to its notice or email support with the relevant URL or account, the decision, your reasons and any new evidence. We will consider the information and correct a decision where warranted. This process does not restrict access to a regulator, court or other remedy available under applicable law.
We may update these rules as the service or legal requirements change. Material changes follow the notice provisions in the Terms of Use.