When I photograph birds, I like to use a telephoto lens and get as close as I can to fill up the frame with the bird I am photographing. But sometimes that might not be possible. I also use the fastest shutter speed I can because even though they are sitting on a branch or on the ground, they still move and if you use a slow shutter speed you will get blurry photos. It’s even a good idea to turn up your ISO so you can achieve a faster shutter speed. You just have to experiment with different settings and see what you come up with.