Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 19, 2026

BirdingPath (“BirdingPath”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) is operated by Hilly Shore Labs. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you visit www.birdingpath.com (the “Site”), how we use it, who we share it with, and the rights you have over it.

We've tried to keep this readable. If anything is unclear, email privacy@birdingpath.com.

1. Who is the data controller

Hilly Shore Labs is the data controller for personal information processed through the Site. For privacy questions, contact us at privacy@birdingpath.com.

2. Information we collect

We collect three categories of information:

2.1 Information you give us

BirdingPath does not require an account. We don't operate a login or comment system, and our quiz and finder tools run entirely in your browser (see section 6). If you email us directly, we receive whatever you send (your email address, message contents, and any attachments) and use it only to respond. If we add a newsletter, subscribing is always optional and separately consented.

2.2 Information collected automatically

When you visit the Site, the following is collected automatically:

• Server logs. IP address (truncated where supported by our hosting), user agent, referrer, requested URL, and timestamp. Used for security, abuse prevention, and basic operational debugging. Retained up to 30 days.
• Analytics. Page views, referrer, country (city-level at most), device type, browser, screen size, and clicks on affiliate buttons. Collected via Vercel Analytics, Vercel Speed Insights, and — once configured — Google Analytics 4 with IP anonymization enabled. We do not collect precise geolocation, contact details, or behavioral profiles for advertising.
• Performance data. Core Web Vitals (LCP, CLS, INP) sampled by Vercel Speed Insights to diagnose slow pages.

2.3 Information from third parties

We do not purchase audience data, run retargeting pixels, or import contact lists. We don't have a Meta pixel, TikTok pixel, X pixel, or LinkedIn Insight tag installed.

3. How we use your information

We use the information above to:

• Operate, maintain, and secure the Site.
• Understand which guides, level pages, and gear comparisons are useful so we can write more of what readers want.
• Measure the performance of affiliate links (which buttons get clicked) so we understand what's working.
• Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, scraping, and spam.
• Comply with legal obligations.

We do not use this data to build advertising profiles, sell to data brokers, or train external machine-learning models.

4. Legal bases for processing (EU/UK readers)

If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, we rely on these legal bases:

• Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) — for security, performance monitoring, and cookieless measurement, balanced against your rights.
• Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) — for any non-essential analytics cookies in jurisdictions that require an opt-in. You may withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.
• Compliance with legal obligations (Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR) — for tax, audit, and law-enforcement requests.

5. Cookies and similar technologies

The Site uses a small number of cookies and local storage entries:

• Strictly necessary. Session cookies set by our hosting provider (Vercel) for routing and security. Cannot be disabled without breaking the Site.
• Google Analytics (_ga, _ga_<MEASUREMENT_ID>) — analytics, up to ~13 months, set only if/when GA4 is enabled and only after you consent in regions that require prior consent (Google Consent Mode v2), or by default elsewhere. See “Your Privacy Choices” below.
• Vercel Analytics & Speed Insights — privacy-friendly measurement that does not store cookies on your device.
• On-device storage. Remembers preferences you set (such as your cookie choice and quiz answers); stays on your device and is not sent as a tracking cookie.
• Affiliate partner cookies. When you click an Amazon link, Amazon sets its own cookies on amazon.com under its own privacy policy — not on birdingpath.com. We never set or read those cookies.

You can block or delete cookies at any time in your browser settings. If you opt out of GA4 cookies via Google's browser opt-out add-on, the Site will continue to function normally.

Your Privacy Choices

We tailor consent to your location:

• EU/EEA, UK, Switzerland, Brazil: analytics is disabled by default and only set if you click “Accept” on our banner (Google Consent Mode v2).
• California and other US states with privacy laws: we show a notice and let you opt out at any time.
• Global Privacy Control (GPC): if your browser sends a GPC signal, we treat it as an opt-out automatically.

Review or change your choice at any time: Your Privacy Choices. We do not sell or share your personal information for third-party advertising.

6. Our tools (quiz & finder)

The “What level am I?” quiz and the Binocular Finder run entirely in your browser. Your answers are processed on your device to produce a result and are not transmitted to or stored on our servers. Standard pageview analytics still apply, but we cannot reconstruct which answers any specific visitor selected.

7. Affiliate links and outbound clicks

BirdingPath is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and may participate in other affiliate programs over time. When you click an outbound product link on the Site, you leave BirdingPath and arrive on the merchant's site. From that moment on, the merchant's privacy policy governs what they collect.

We log the click event itself (which button, on which page, when) so we can understand link performance. We do not see, store, or have access to your purchase, payment details, shipping address, or order history.

8. Sharing and disclosure

We share information only with:

• Service providers. Vercel (hosting, analytics, Speed Insights) and Google (Analytics 4, once enabled). These providers process data on our behalf under their own privacy and security commitments.
• Legal authorities. If required by law, court order, or to protect our rights, property, or safety, or those of our readers.
• Business transfers. If BirdingPath is sold, merged, or restructured, anonymized analytics may transfer to the successor under the same terms as this policy.

We do not sell your personal information.

9. International data transfers

Our service providers operate globally. If you access the Site from outside the United States, your data may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States or other countries. Where required, our providers rely on Standard Contractual Clauses or equivalent safeguards under GDPR Chapter V.

10. Data retention

• Server logs: up to 30 days.
• Analytics events (GA4, once enabled): up to 14 months.
• Affiliate-click events: up to 14 months.
• Email correspondence: as long as needed to respond and for a reasonable record afterwards (typically 24 months).

11. Your rights

EU / UK / Swiss readers (GDPR)

You have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Request rectification of inaccurate data.
• Request erasure (“right to be forgotten”).
• Restrict or object to processing.
• Data portability where applicable.
• Withdraw consent at any time.
• Lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.

California readers (CCPA / CPRA)

You have the right to:

• Know what personal information we collect, use, and disclose.
• Delete personal information we collected from you (subject to exceptions).
• Correct inaccurate personal information.
• Opt out of “sale” or “sharing” of personal information — although we do not sell or share for cross-context behavioral advertising.
• Limit use of sensitive personal information — we do not collect sensitive personal information as defined by CPRA.
• Non-discrimination for exercising your rights.

How to exercise your rights

Email privacy@birdingpath.com from the address you used to contact us, or with enough information for us to locate the records. We respond within 30 days. There is no charge.

12. Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control

Browsers and extensions can send a Do Not Track (DNT) header or a Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal. We honor GPC as an opt-out of any “sale” or “sharing” of personal information within the meaning of CPRA, even though we do not currently engage in either.

13. Children's privacy

The Site is a general-audience birding resource intended for adults and families. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you believe a child has provided personal information, email privacy@birdingpath.com and we will delete it promptly.

14. Security

Traffic to the Site is encrypted in transit via HTTPS. Our hosting provider applies industry-standard physical and network safeguards. No internet transmission or storage system is 100% secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

15. Third-party links

The Site links to third-party retailers, manufacturers, YouTube creators, and reference sources. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies. We encourage you to read those policies before sharing personal information with them. Videos on our Watch pages are embedded via YouTube's privacy-enhanced (no-cookie) player and only load YouTube's cookies if you press play.

16. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top reflects the latest revision. Material changes will be highlighted on the home page or in a prominent banner for at least 14 days.

17. Contact

Hilly Shore Labs
Operator of BirdingPath
Email: privacy@birdingpath.com
General inquiries: hello@birdingpath.com