Collection

Bird licences

Licences for activities affecting birds.

• From: Natural England and Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Published: 13 October 2014
• Last updated: 10 April 2024 — See all updates

Defra has issued general licences to:

• kill or take wild birds for conservation purposes (GL40)
• kill or take wild birds for public health or safety (GL41)
• kill or take wild birds to prevent serious damage (GL42)

If your circumstances are not covered by these general licences you must apply for:

• licence A08 - to kill, take or disturb wild birds to prevent disease or agricultural damage
• licence A09 - to kill, take or disturb wild birds for conservation or public health and safety

Keep and exhibit birds

• Birds: licence to show them without the correct rings (A21 and LR21)
  • 7 June 2022
  • Form
• Birds: licence to keep them in show cages for training (GL16)
  • 1 January 2024
  • Statutory guidance
• Wild birds: licence to show captive bred birds competitively (GL14)
  • 1 January 2024
  • Statutory guidance

Kill, take or disturb birds

• Birds: licence to catch them on food premises (CL03)
  • 1 January 2024
  • Form
• Birds: licence to kill or take them for air safety purposes (CL12)
  • 1 January 2024
  • Statutory guidance
• Gulls: report actions taken under licence A36 (LR36)
  • 1 April 2022
  • Form
• Hen harriers: licence for diversionary feeding (CL25)
  • 1 January 2024
  • Statutory guidance
• Mallard ducks: licence to take eggs and rear and release chicks (GL13)
  • 1 January 2024
  • Statutory guidance
• Ruddy ducks: licence to kill or take them (GL21)
  • 1 January 2024
  • Statutory guidance
• Wild birds: apply for a licence to disturb them for photography (A28)
  • 29 March 2021
  • Form
• Wild birds: apply for a licence to disturb them for science (A27)
  • 21 September 2021
  • Form
• Wild birds: apply for a licence to kill wild birds for falconry (A41 and LR41)
  • 25 February 2022
  • Form
• Wild birds: licence to disturb, kill or take for science (A33 and LR33)
  • 9 July 2024
  • Form
• Wild birds: licence to kill, take or disturb (A08)
  • 20 February 2023
  • Form
• Wild birds: licence to kill or take for conservation or public health and safety (A09)
  • 17 October 2022
  • Form
• Wild birds: licence to remove abandoned or unsuccessful eggs (GL12)
  • 1 January 2024
  • Statutory guidance
• Wild birds: report actions taken for science or photography
  • 1 April 2022
  • Form

Protect fisheries

• Cormorants: group licence to kill or take them to prevent damage to fisheries
  • 11 July 2017
  • Form
• Licence for an individual to protect their fishery from fish-eating birds (A06 and A07)
  • 23 May 2024
  • Form

Sell birds and eggs

• Black-headed gulls: licence for retailers and restaurateurs to sell eggs (GL23)
  • 1 January 2024
  • Statutory guidance
• Black-headed gulls: licence to sell eggs for human consumption (A22 and LR22)
  • 1 April 2022
  • Form
• Mealy redpoll: licence to sell and exhibit ringed mealy redpoll (GL15)
  • 1 January 2024
  • Statutory guidance
• Wild birds: licence to sell captive bred, live wild birds (GL18)
  • 1 January 2024
  • Statutory guidance
• Wild birds: licence to sell dead wild birds (GL17)
  • 1 January 2024
  • Statutory guidance
• Wild birds: licence to sell them without the correct rings (A20 and LR20)
  • 31 March 2022
  • Form

Treat and rehabilitate birds

• Wild birds: licence for vets to rehabilitate certain species (GL08)
  • 1 January 2024
  • Statutory guidance
• Wild birds: licence to keep certain species for rehabilitation (GL07)
  • 1 January 2024
  • Statutory guidance

Other licences

• Barn owls: survey licence for development projects (CL29)
  • 1 January 2024
  • Statutory guidance
• Gamebirds: licence to release common pheasants or red-legged partridges on certain European sites or within 500m of their boundary (GL43)
  • 14 May 2024
  • Statutory guidance
• Gamebirds: licence to release common pheasants or red-legged partridges on specified special protection areas or within 500m of their boundary (GL45) 
  • 7 June 2024
  • Statutory guidance
• Non-native (alien) species: apply for a licence to release them (A03 and LR03)
  • 7 November 2022
  • Form
• Wild birds: licence to rear chicks of certain captive-bred species (GL11)
  • 1 January 2024
  • Statutory guidance
• Wild birds and animals: licence to possess samples (GL10)
  • 1 January 2024
  • Statutory guidance
• Wild birds and animals: licence to release certain schedule 9 species (GL22)
  • 1 January 2024
  • Statutory guidance

Standard licence conditions

• Trapping wild birds: standard licence conditions (GL33)
  • 1 January 2024
  • Statutory guidance

Wild bird advice notices

• Wildlife management advice notice: legal measures for managing wild birds (WML-GU01)
  • 26 April 2019
  • Guidance
• Wildlife management advice notice: The Animal Welfare Act 2006 (WML-GU02)
  • 26 April 2019
  • Guidance

Published 13 October 2014
Last updated 10 April 2024 + show all updates

1. 10 April 2024

   Added 2 general licences for releasing gamebirds (GL43 and GL45).

2. 30 March 2022

   Added Hen harriers: licence for diversionary feeding (CL25).

3. 12 May 2021

   Added general licence GL43: licence to release common pheasants or red-legged partridges on European sites and within 500m of their boundary.

4. 5 January 2021

   Removed general licences to control wild birds: GL34, GL35, GL36 and replaced with GL40, GL41 and GL42.

5. 9 December 2020

   Added standard licence conditions for trapping wild birds (GL33).

6. 14 June 2019

   New Defra general licences for wild birds, GL34, GL35 and GL36 added.

7. 26 April 2019

   Added the general licence (GL26) for killing or taking carrion crows.

8. 25 April 2019

   Added 'Wild birds: licence to control certain species'. Removed licences GL04, GL05 and GL06.

9. 13 October 2014

   First published.