Form

Woodpigeons: licence to kill or take them to prevent serious damage to crops (GL31)

Get a general licence to kill or take woodpigeons, or take, damage or destroy their nests and eggs to prevent serious damage to crops.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Natural England
• Published: 3 May 2019
• Last updated: 9 November 2020 — See all updates

This publication was withdrawn on 28 January 2021

This licence expired on 31 December 2020.

From 1 January 2021, you may use general licence GL42 for some activities to prevent serious damage, or you may need to apply for an individual licence.

Applies to England

Documents

Licence to kill or take woodpigeons to prevent serious damage to crops (GL31)

PDF, 666 KB, 9 pages

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Details

This licence was withdrawn on 31 December 2020.

From 1 January 2021, you may use general licence GL42 for some activities to prevent serious damage, or you may need to apply for an individual licence.

You can use this general licence if you grow crops on a sufficient scale to have financial value, or you act on behalf of a grower.

To prevent serious damage to crops, this licence allows you to:

• kill or take woodpigeons
• take, damage or destroy woodpigeon nests and eggs

You must use permitted methods of control stated on the licence and comply with its other terms and conditions.

When you must apply for an individual licence

You must apply to Natural England for an individual licence if you need to carry out activities that are:

• not permitted by this licence
• on or near sites that are protected for birds

To find sites protected for birds, click on the MAGIC interactive map. The orange and purple hatched areas show where you must apply for an individual licence.

To zoom in for more detail:

• click on the ‘+’ symbol below the on-screen compass
• drag the map to your location using the mouse or trackpad

Related information

• Standard licence conditions for trapping wild birds and using decoys (GL33)
• Wildlife management advice notice: legal measures for managing wild birds (WML-GU01)
• Wildlife management advice notice: The Animal Welfare Act 2006 (WML-GU02)

Published 3 May 2019
Last updated 9 November 2020 + show all updates

1. 9 November 2020

   General licence GL31 is being withdrawn on 31 December 2020.

2. 1 August 2020

   Replaced licence with new version issued 1 August 2020.

3. 16 March 2020

   Licence replaced with new version following minor textural change.

4. 1 March 2020

   Replaced licence with new version issued 1 March 2020

5. 1 January 2020

   Replaced licence with new version issued 1 January 2020

6. 13 May 2019

   Updated information on how to find areas protected for birds.

7. 3 May 2019

   First published.