Fake News

    Misuse of Images and Fabricated Bird Sightings

Google Reverse Image Search is a powerful tool for uncovering the origins of photographs online. By uploading an image to Google Images, you can quickly find visually similar photos, locate the original source, and often determine when and where the picture first appeared.

For journalists, this helps verify authenticity and publication dates. For photographers, it’s a way to track whether their work is being reused without permission.

Unfortunately, fake news doesn't only appear in politics or media—it’s now making its way into bird sightings, birding websites, and even wildlife photography. It’s disappointing to see individuals feeling the need to fabricate sightings or use stolen photos to support claims.

I know several birders who have spent valuable time searching for species based on these reports, only to discover that the supporting images were not legitimate. The website involved has repeatedly used photos taken from elsewhere on the internet to bolster false sightings.

The most recent example involves a supposed Trumpeter Finch photographed at Montnegre. However, a simple reverse-image search reveals that the photo is actually from Morocco, April 2010, taken by photographer Michel Carré.

Here is the source:

The original image can be found here:

https://www.oiseaux.net/photos/michel.carre/trumpeter.finch.2.html

This confirms that the photo used to support the alleged Montnegre sighting was not produced locally and does not correspond to the date or location claimed.

Implications

While the individual or website responsible has not been publicly identified here, repeated incidents of this nature risk leading to the perception of intentional deception. In birding terminology, such behaviour is often associated with the term stringer—someone who knowingly falsifies sightings rather than making unintentional identification errors.

These practices can erode trust within the birding community and diminish the reliability of local reports, which many birders depend on for planning fieldwork, travel, and species monitoring.

Conclusion

The exposure of falsified sightings through reverse image search underscores the importance of verification in the digital age. Birders are encouraged to make use of available tools to confirm the authenticity of images and reports. With widespread attention—nearly 105,130 views on Birding Costa Blanca at the time of writing—it is hoped that greater transparency will discourage the spread of misleading information.