Community rules

The Seabird Research forum brings together scientists, birders, conservationists and anyone who cares about seabirds. These rules keep it useful and welcoming.

Be civil

Assume good faith. Disagree with ideas, not people. No personal attacks, harassment, slurs or threats.

Protect sensitive sites

Don't post the exact location of active nests or colonies of threatened species, or of rare breeding birds. A general area is fine. Exact coordinates can lead to disturbance, egg collecting or worse.

Stay within wildlife law

Don't advise handling, keeping, feeding or disturbing wild seabirds, and don't fly drones near colonies. If you find an injured or stranded bird, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.

Share responsibly

• Cite your sources, especially for scientific claims.
• Only post photos you took or have permission to share. No images that involved disturbing nesting birds.
• No advertising or self-promotion unrelated to seabirds.
• Don't share other people's personal information, and never personal details of children.

How moderation works

New posts are checked automatically by an AI moderator, usually within seconds. Ordinary posts are published straight away. Spam is removed. Anything contentious is held until a human moderator reviews it. If three members report a post, it is hidden until a moderator looks at it.

Moderators may hide posts, lock threads and suspend accounts that break these rules. If you think a decision was wrong, write to info@seabirdresearch.org.

Who can join

Anyone aged 13 or older can create a free account.