Editorial Principles
Useful Before Clever
We avoid advice that sounds impressive but leaves someone unsure what to do next. Examples, boundaries, and practical tradeoffs matter more than viral phrasing.
Wildlife Welfare First
A closer photo or recording never justifies disturbing a nest, handling wildlife, trespassing, or exposing a threatened species' sensitive location.
Honesty About Uncertainty
We do not present likely species as facts. Copy should distinguish visible or audible evidence from inference and tell readers what to verify.
General Information
Bird Lens does not provide veterinary diagnoses, legal determinations, or emergency wildlife response. Identification content is educational only.
Topic Selection
We prioritize topics that repeatedly show up in identification questions, seasonal bird activity, and product feedback. A topic is a good fit when it helps a reader observe, compare, and verify birds responsibly.
- Photo identification, including field marks, shape, lighting, and context.
- Sound identification, including rhythm, pitch, repetition, and background noise.
- Habitat, range, season, behavior, age, sex, and molt.
- Ethical observation, nest safety, playback limits, and sensitive locations.
AI Use in Editorial Work
AI tools may support brainstorming, outline comparison, wording alternatives, and quality checks. They do not replace editorial responsibility. We remain responsible for the final published text.
We Do Not Use AI To
- Invent citations, studies, statistics, or expert credentials.
- Create advice that targets or stereotypes protected characteristics.
- Invent species certainty when evidence is incomplete or ambiguous.
- Publish sensitive personal stories without permission.
Corrections Policy
If we find a factual error, outdated statement, broken safety recommendation, or misleading claim, we correct it as soon as practical. Minor grammar and formatting fixes may be made silently. Material corrections should be reflected in the page text, metadata date, or public changelog when the change affects interpretation.
Useful correction reports include the page URL, the specific claim, why it appears wrong, and any source or context that helps us verify the issue.
Boundaries We Enforce
- No instructions to disturb nests, handle wildlife, trespass, or bait birds.
- No encouragement of excessive playback or unsafe proximity.
- No disclosure of sensitive locations for threatened species.
- No invented sightings, citations, field marks, or confidence.
- No veterinary diagnosis or claims that replace wildlife authorities.
Continue through the trust center
These pages work together: methodology explains how advice is made, safety explains tool limits, and the changelog shows what changed.