Well, a few weeks ago I went out to photograph bald eagles with my dad, and I came back with my first acceptably sharp photo of a bird in flight, yay! 
So, I’d like to share what I think are the two biggest reasons I finally got a decent shot:
#1 – Carefully move your camera with the bird
You’ll get the sharpest photo possible when the bird is not moving across your camera’s focal plane (sensor), so the key is to carefully track the bird with your camera.
For most of the two hours my dad and I were outside photographing eagles, we were really just watching them. Only occasionally did they come close enough to photograph, so the majority of the time we just watched. And, I think that really helped me track them when they did get close enough to photograph, because watching them helped me get a feel for their speed.
If you’re having trouble tracking the bird in your camera, try going out sometimes where you only watch the birds, and don’t even bring your camera. Just watch.
#2 – Fill the frame as much as possible
Ideally, you’d want the bird to take up the whole frame, but you probably won’t be that lucky very often. I’ve found that you need to fill at least 20% of the frame to get a decently sharp shot. And, you don’t necessarily need a super long lens to do that (I used a 400mm lens in the shot above), you just need patience. In the two hours that my dad and I were watching and photographing the bald eagles, only about four or five times did one fly close enough for us to fill up a good amount of the frame.
Yeah, other things helped too…
Of course, there were other things that helped me get a sharp photo too, like a fast shutter speed, a high burst rate camera (I used a 50D with 6.3 fps, and a 7D with 8 fps), but I think the two things above are what really helped the most.
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About the Author: Steve Berardi is a naturalist, photographer, computer scientist, and founder of PhotoNaturalist. You can usually find him hiking in the beautiful mountains and deserts of Southern California.
Steve,
Too often I’ve taken out of focus and blurred photos of birds in flight. My biggest problem is auto-focus systems. Many times I’m tracking a bird, ready to hit the shutter release only to have the AF go blurry. I’m now trying to use manual focus. Do you have any comments on auto focus? I use a sturdy tripod with a gimbal head, with a Canon 100-400 zoom.
Steve,
As a teacher in Vancouver, B.C. I would like to add an anectdote to Gerald’s concern. Firstly, I set the camera to manual focus at near infinity, which will give sharp focus with a range of about 15 metres (50 feet) to infinity with even a relatively wide aperture. Secondly, I always have the camera set to a minimum of 1/500th of a second as light permits, so while strolling I am always prepared for that passing raptor, swan or heron. Lastly, I always stand near an open field where they hunt with the sun at my back, as you will never get a good shot with side or back-lighting. A steady smooth panning as you suggest does help with larger raptors, but Merlin & Falcon’s flight is much more eratic, needs faster shutter speeds, and takes much more patience.
Enjoy your articles as always.
Hey Steve,
thanks for the tips. I don’t shoot a lot of wildlife, especially birds in flight, but when I do I’m not that successful. these are the basics which we really don’t consider, and between what you’ve said and what was in your father’s post, I hope to do a lot better the next time out.
thanks,
glenn
Gerald – I’d recommend switching your AF mode to “AI Servo” (or I think it’s called “continuous focus” on Nikons), set your AF point to the center spot, and also use back-button autofocusing. Then, you can just hold down that back button while you track the bird, and the camera will automatically re-focus on the bird as it moves through the sky (well, as long as you keep the bird near that center AF spot).
Frank – You make a good point about lighting, which is also super important as you mention. And, I agree: larger and more “smooth flying” birds like raptors are much easier to photograph than more erratic and smaller birds, like songbirds.. I can’t imagine photographing songbirds in flight, but it probably involves some pretty crazy techniques, haha
Glenn – Thanks for your nice comment, and good luck!
To add to Steve’s correct reply to Gerald’s concern of AF drifting out-of-focus while following a bird in flight, using the back button on AI Servo is definitely best. This drifting out-of-focus is quite normal. However, this will, at times, still happen on AI Servo while using the back button. One way to help correct this is to take your thumb off the back button for a moment and re-press it instantly. Sometimes this jogs the AF back into position and locks onto the bird again.
i think bird photography is the holy grail of image capture, there is no inbetween shots, either they are good or not, thanks for the tips
Having the right lens helps, not many people can afford 100-400ml 2.8
I attend to visit show of birds (eagles) with falconer at castle landskron (Villach). I need some help. OK, AF-C, 1/1000 s (1/1200 s) or faster, aperture 2.8-4.0, ISO AVTO (200-800 ISO)
Which focus point to use in my Nikon D800 ? Center point and dynamic 21 point or. 51 point (in manual of Nikon D800, 51 point dynamic area, is the right choise)? What about a stabilization? Some people advice to remove IS because it slow down the AF sistem?
What about metering? Matrix or SPOT?
I will use Nikon 70-200 mm f/2.8 ED VR II lense.