05/26/2026
Ok ok ok....we're going to spend just a minute to discuss AI and how it's harming the bird (and other) community. Some AI can appear very realistic while some is definitely not. However, we encourage you to really think about the image: does it make sense; would this really happen; does the bird appear to be whole; does the location for the bird make sense? Many groups and individuals are posting AI images that thousands of people are commenting on and believing to be true. How can this harm the bird community? Not only does posting fake images of cute, puffy baby birds being snuggled promote the illegal take of birds from the wild, it also gives the wrong impression about caring for these birds - it's hard work! Organizations like ours work hard to dispel myths about birds and when AI images display raptors coming and stealing large pets (or children) folks develop a hatred toward these birds. AI also is ruining strong environmental education. Take a look at these photos below:
A white owl with red feathers? FAKE! There is no owl that looks like this in real life. Plus...have you ever seen an owl's tail look like that? They wouldn't be able to fly....
A bald eagle with....miniature adult bald eagles in the nest? Bald eagles don't get their white heads and tails until they're 5-6 years old. FAKE!
A barn owl with eggs that are absolutely massive....FAKE!
A great horned owl holding 3 babies tucked into the wings that are all exact in size and appearance? FAKE!
Images and posts like these harm everything organizations like ours stand for. They're not educational, they're really obnoxious. Some are meant to be funny - and that's fine! But when folks believe them to be true, that's when it gets out of hand. We get so many folks coming up to us at programs asking about these images and it's really depressing. Not only that, AI "art" is harming real, talented artists and photographers!! The artwork we use on our merch is all hand-drawn by our incredible artists. Not AI.
We hope that you take a moment to really think about if images and posts are real, before commenting about how cute a fake bird is. Help us spread images of real birds.....they're more beautiful than anything AI can create. Thank you!! :)
