San Mateo County Birding Guide

Cemetery Etiquette for Bird-watching

Birds often flock to cemeteries. Trees and shade abound (even in otherwise desert or desolate areas), human activity tends to be minimal, and people who are present keep their voices down. Perhaps the most famous example of a birding hotspot in a cemetery is Mt. Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts. This national landmark is America's first garden-style cemetery, opened in 1831. Its profusion of greenery in an otherwise urban environment has led to its being a major migrant hotspot. The cemetery and the local birding community in Boston have worked out a code of ethics for birding at Mt. Auburn, on which this code is based. (For more on Mt. Auburn, see their website, and also see the Brookline Bird Club's Cemetery Rules.)

• Always be respectful of those who are at the cemetery for an active burial or for private mourning and remembrance. Their needs and preferences take precedence over birding at all times.
• If there are active burials, funerals, or memorial services taking place, birders should move away from those areas.
• Always be mindful of cemetery rules and regulations, particularly concerning hours, parking, and routes for travel within the cemetery.
• Birders should use pathways to avoid trampling plantings and flowers.
• Picnicking is not appropriate.
• Be especially careful to avoid littering.
• Do not touch headstones or other monuments; do not lean on stones or monuments.
• Birders should gather only in small groups, and keep their voices low.
• If you wish to conduct an organized trip to a cemetery, please contact the cemetery's office well in advance.
• Observe all signs and requests from cemetery staff.
• The use of tapes should be rare and discreet.
• If you see an unusual bird (especially one that might attract birders), please inform the cemetery office.
• If you notice vandalism, littering, or other signs of foul play in a cemetery, please report that to the cemetery office.

Common sense discretion should be applied: remember that it is our good behavior as birders that enables our community to keep enjoying these places of quiet reflection. Don't be the birder who ruins it for the rest of us.