Form

Wild birds: apply for a licence to disturb them for science (A27)

Apply for a licence to disturb protected species of wild birds for science, education and conservation work and find out how to report your actions.

• From: Natural England
• Published: 28 February 2014
• Last updated: 21 September 2021 — See all updates

Applies to England

Documents

Application for a licence to disturb or take wild birds for science, research, education and conservation (A27)

PDF, 537 KB

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Details

You must apply for a licence if you plan to disturb wild birds listed on schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act for scientific, educational or conservation work.

To apply you must:

• complete application form (A27)
• include 2 references from people familiar with your work
• include a project plan

The project plan must include:

• objectives of the project
• why the work is necessary
• any alternative methods you’ve considered
• a plan or map to show the project location

Licences are free. Natural England will decide whether to issue a licence within 30 working days of receiving your application

How to report your actions

You must report any actions you took using this licence on the report form. You must report no later than 2 weeks after your licence expires, even if you’ve taken no action. Send your completed form by post or email to Natural England using the details on the form.

If you’re using the report form to renew your licence, you must include an updated project plan and map.

Published 28 February 2014
Last updated 21 September 2021 + show all updates

1. 21 September 2021

   Replaced report form and added guidance on including a project plan and map as part of an application or renewal.

2. 17 July 2015

   Replaced application form with revised, interactive PDF version.

3. 28 February 2014

   First published.