Title reads 'Bird-dogging'. A person speaks at a lecturn to an audience. Two people are at the side holding placards up above the heads.

Tactic: Bird-dogging

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Introduction

What is bird-dogging? Here is a collection of resources curated by the Commons librarians about what bird-dogging is, how to do bird-dogging and examples from around the world.

Terminology: This term comes from hunting, where a ‘bird-dog’ tracks birds, staying on their scent. It could also be known as ‘candidate haunting’ or ‘accountability on the campaign trail’.

What is Bird-dogging and What can it Achieve?

Bird-dogging is when activists intentionally and persistently seek out political candidates and public officials at events and in public forums, ask them questions about their positions on certain issues, or ask them to commit to certain actions.

Bird-dogging is often used in the lead up to elections and puts the candidates’ position on the record so the public knows where they stand. To make the greatest impact, track candidates across multiple events and public appearances.  

To bird-dog is to “observe, follow, monitor and/or seek out with persistent attention.” Basically, you show up at the candidates’ events, ask them to commit and ask them questions they don’t want to answer in order to get them on the record and to educate those present. – The Change Agency

Activists sometimes use props and costumes to draw attention to their cause, attract media coverage, and disarm their targets.

Benefits and Challenges?

Bird-dogging can be a great way of keeping political candidates and leaders accountable to the public. Asking candidates direct questions can force them to go on the record on important policy issues. Making sure the encounter is filmed can also help to push those issues into the media spotlight. 

The tactic can be challenging, particularly in figuring out where the candidate is going to be, getting access to the venue/event and finding the right opportunity to confront them. Careful planning is important to have the best impact.

During election season, you have a unique opportunity to get candidates on the record about issues that are important to you—and to influence their opinions. – American Friends Service Committee 

How to

Bird-dogging involves carefully crafted, pointed questions designed to elicit specific responses from politicians. The goal is not merely to get an answer, but to push the politician to make a public commitment on a particular issue, or to reveal their stance on a topic they might otherwise prefer to avoid. – Political Dictionary 

  1. Recruit your bird-dogging team
    (question-askers, recorders, spokespeople, researchers/trackers) 
  2. Find opportunities/ track your candidate’s schedule
    This might be at media events, campaign launches, voting booths, public forums, local meet-and-greets, or when they visit local businesses. If their schedule isn’t on their website you can try calling their campaign office. 
  3. Prepare
    1. Research your candidate and get to know their position on different policies. 
    2. Choose your question: you’ll have limited time so make sure you know what your top most important question for the candidate is 
    3. Plan your visuals: Make sure you have some high impact visuals, that way if you don’t get an opportunity to ask your question you can still have an impact. Think: placards, t-shirts, costumes, props 
    4. Plan your communication strategy: make sure you know how you’ll keep in touch with your team during the event. 
  4. On the day:   
    1. Arrive early and find a great spot 
    2. Sit strategically: separate out your team to make sure you have more opportunities to ask your question 
    3. Ask your question early when the opportunity arises
    4. Speak slowly and clearly
    5. Be in the candidates path: if there’s not a set time to ask questions, get in the candidate’s path, or ask to take a selfie before hitting record and asking your question 
    6. Take notes on the candidate’s answer 
    7. Take videos and photographs 
    8. Be prepared to speak to the media 
  5. Share your bird-dogging video and photos on social media and send to media outlets 
  6. Debrief
    Make sure you take time to debrief with your team to talk about how your bird-dogging tactic went and whether you could make any changes next time. And congratulate each other for keeping your candidate accountable! 

What Makes a Good Bird-dogging Question?

American Friends Service Committee has some useful criteria for what makes a good bird-dogging question: 

A good question:

  • Focuses on a particular issue 
  • Is concise 
  • Puts candidate on the spot 
  • Informs listeners, including reporters 

For an even better question, make it personal. Mention:  

  • Anecdotes from your life 
  • Local facts 
  • Candidate’s voting record and quotes 

What to avoid:  

  • Softball questions, like “What do you think about…?” 
  • Multi-issue questions 
  • Rambling questions 
  • Long questions 
  • Overly technical questions 
  • Using unfamiliar acronyms 

Videos

WATCH: How to Bird-dog – Australian Youth Climate Coalition 

WATCH: Webinar: Bird-Dogging as a Political Tactic – Physicians for a National Health Program

Online / Offline

Bird-dogging is usually done at in-person events. But during COVID-19 lockdowns, Greenpeace released this how-to guide to virtual bird-dogging for online events. 

Examples and Case Studies

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  • Author:
  • Organisation: Commons Library
  • Location: Australia
  • Release Date: 2025

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