​Yes, binoculars are often needed to see birds in the wild. Although we often visit breeding colonies where you can approach bird from close-by some birds are not keen on visitors and we therefore have to stay away a certain distance in order not to disturb them. Local regulations sometimes prohibit visitors from getting close to bird-cliffs and other nesting sites. Observing birds in flight, such as Albatrosses in the Drake Passage on-route to Antarctica, is much better done with binoculars.