Bird licences
Licences for activities affecting birds.
You can get an unlimited fine if you do not have a licence when carrying out an activity that needs one. You may also face up to 6 months in prison.
You must have a licence if you need to take, kill, or disturb wild birds for the purpose of:
- conserving wild birds, animals, or plants that are of recognised concern
- preserving public health or safety (including preventing disease spread)
- preventing serious damage to livestock, animal feed, crops or growing timber
- preventing the spread of disease (including preventing disease spread to wildlife or livestock, both directly and indirectly through animal feed or crops)
- preserving air safety
Defra and Natural England have issued the following licences for these purposes to:
- kill or take wild birds for conservation (GL40)
- kill or take wild birds to preserve public health or safety (GL41)
- kill or take wild birds to prevent serious agricultural damage or the spread of a disease to livestock (GL42)
- take birds trapped in food premises to preserve public health or safety (CL03)
- kill or take wild birds for air safety (CL12)
To find out if you could act under one of these licences, you must read the relevant licence to check if:
- it covers the species of wild bird you need to control
- it permits the methods of control you want to use
- you can meet the licence conditions
If you cannot act under these licences, you must check if you can apply for one of the following individual licences to:
- control birds for air safety, conservation, and public health, or to prevent the spread of disease or agricultural damage (A08 or A09)
- shoot fish-eating birds to protect your fishery from damage (A06 or A07)
For other licensable purposes, such as science or education, check the list of other licences on this page to find out if you can act under them.
Keep and exhibit birds
Kill, take or disturb birds
Protect fisheries
Sell birds and eggs
Treat and rehabilitate birds
Other licences
Standard licence conditions
Wild bird advice notices
Updates to this page
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Added a link - 'Apply for an individual licence to kill, take or disturb wild birds (A08 or A09)'.
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Removed general licence for releasing gamebirds on or near special protection areas (GL45). The licence is not currently in use. Added individual licence for releasing gamebirds on or near special protection areas and special areas of conservation (A10 and A48).
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Updated the guidance on licences to kill,take or disturb wild birds.
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Added 2 general licences for releasing gamebirds (GL43 and GL45).
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Added Hen harriers: licence for diversionary feeding (CL25).
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Added general licence GL43: licence to release common pheasants or red-legged partridges on European sites and within 500m of their boundary.
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Removed general licences to control wild birds: GL34, GL35, GL36 and replaced with GL40, GL41 and GL42.
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Added standard licence conditions for trapping wild birds (GL33).
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New Defra general licences for wild birds, GL34, GL35 and GL36 added.
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Added the general licence (GL26) for killing or taking carrion crows.
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Added 'Wild birds: licence to control certain species'. Removed licences GL04, GL05 and GL06.
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First published.