Drones are increasingly used to monitor, film, and survey birds. Many studies also report that drones can reduce bird disturbance compared to traditional methods, such as ground counts or helicopter surveys. However, best practices on how drones should be flown to reduce adverse behavior are usually species-specific and context-dependent, and are therefore often difficult to apply to new management scenarios. Here, we review 149 peer-reviewed scientific studies involving drone use and bird surveys, and present a phylogenetically informed meta-analysis to better understand which factors may help reduce flushing response in birds. We find that the distance between the drone and the bird, drone speed, bird breeding status, and species size all strongly influence the chances of a flushing response. Finally, we provide drone operational guidelines that are specific to and applicable across both drone type and taxa of interest.