Statutory guidance

Licence to show certain captive bred wild birds competitively (GL14)

Updated 1 January 2024

Applies to England

General licence GL14: to permit the competitive showing or exhibition of certain captive bred live wild bird species and their hybrids.

Overview

The licence permits the competitive showing or public exhibition of certain captive bred live wild bird species and their hybrids, providing they are fitted with a close ring on their leg.

This licence excludes:

• the birds listed on Schedule 3 Part 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) which are already permitted to be shown if ringed and bred in captivity, and

• all bird species listed as an invasive non-native (alien) animal

Registration: Users do not need to register to use this licence.

Recording and reporting: None required.

Legislation

Statute(s) Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) (‘the 1981 Act’).

Section(s) This licence is issued under sections 16(1)(f) and section 16(5).

Licence terms and conditions

Valid for the period: 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024 (inclusive).

Area valid in: All counties of England (landward of the mean low water mark).

Purpose(s) for which this licence is issued: This licence can only be used to publicly exhibit and competitively show certain wild birds.

What this licence permits

Subject to all the terms and conditions of this licence and solely for the purposes stated above, this licence permits anyone to exhibit and show for competitive purposes:

i. captive bred (as defined in Condition 1 below) live wild bird species, or

ii. captive bred hybrid birds, one of whose parents was of a wild bird species, other than birds of the species listed: on Schedule 3 Part I to the 1981 Act (see Information and Advice note e); or as a species of Union concern (see Information and Advice note f)

Who can use this licence

This licence can be used by Anyone, except those convicted on or after 1 January 2010 of a wildlife crime* unless, in respect of that offence, either:

• they are a rehabilitated person for the purposes of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and their conviction is treated as spent, or

• a court has made an order discharging them absolutely

Any application by a person to whom this exclusion applies for an individual licence will be considered on its merits.

*: see Definitions

Definitions used in this licence

“Wild bird” has the same meaning as in section 27 of the 1981 Act.

“Wildlife crime” means any offence under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, the Deer Act 1991, the Hunting Act 2004, the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, the Animal Welfare Act 2006, the Protection of Animals Act 1911 (all as amended) or the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019.

Licence conditions

1. The bird must have been bred in captivity. A bird shall not be treated as bred in captivity unless its parents were lawfully in captivity when the egg from which it hatched was laid. Documentary evidence of captive breeding for birds bred in England and Wales must accompany any bird competitively shown or exhibited under this licence (see Information and Advice note a). There is no requirement for documentary evidence of captive breeding for imported birds.
   
   
2. Any bird competitively shown under this licence must have at least one leg fitted with a ring by means of which the bird may be identified. This ring must:
   
   a. have no break or join
   
   b. have been commercially manufactured for the purpose of being fitted onto birds, and
   
   c. not be removable from the bird’s leg when it is fully grown
   
   
3. The ring must meet the ringing requirements of the country in which the bird was hatched. For any bird sold under this licence which is on Schedule 4 to the 1981 Act, the close ring must meet the marking requirements of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) (see Information and Advice note d).
   
   
4. The owner or keeper of any bird to be competitively shown under this licence will, if requested by an Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) Wildlife Inspector, or a Police Officer, or Natural England officer, make the bird available for a sample of blood, tissue or feather to be taken. Blood samples will be taken by a qualified veterinary surgeon. Such a sample may be used to establish the ancestry of the bird.
   
   
5. All relevant animal welfare legislation must be complied with at all times, including the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (see Information and Advice note h).

Important

This licence authorises acts that would otherwise be offences under the legislation referred to above. Failure to comply with its terms and conditions:

i. may be an offence against the 1981 Act or mean that the licence cannot be relied upon and an offence could therefore be committed. The maximum penalty available for an offence under the 1981 Act is, at the time of the issue of this licence, an unlimited fine and/or a six month custodial sentence

ii. may result in your permission to use this licence being withdrawn. Natural England will inform any person or organisation whose permission to use this licence is withdrawn in writing. This sanction may be applied to other similar licences, and

iii. may mean that you are not able to rely on this licence as a defence in respect to the prohibitions within the Animal Welfare Act 2006 or the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996

If the activity that you wish to undertake is not covered by this licence, or if you are unable to comply with any of the terms and conditions which apply to the use of this licence, then you will need to apply to Natural England for an individual licence.

Issued by and on behalf of Natural England on 1 January 2024.

Information and advice specific to this licence

Guidance on documentary evidence of captive breeding

a. Natural England’s guidance on documentary evidence is as follows:

Persons intending to rely on the general licence must be able to demonstrate that birds are legally held and captive-bred, and are advised:

• to only purchase birds from breeders who are able to satisfactorily demonstrate that they are complying with the relevant regulations
• to confirm, insofar as they are able, that the bird’s identification and age are correct and to check that the bird is correctly ringed

Written documentary evidence of captive-breeding in England and Wales should always be obtained from the breeder. Documentation should be signed and dated, cite the bird’s species, ring number and any other identification mark (such as microchips), hatch date, along with similar details for the parent birds, and the breeder’s contact details.

The law

b. Natural England has issued this licence in exercise of the powers conferred by the 1981 Act. Visit Legislation.gov.uk to view the full text of this legislation.

c. Section 16 of the 1981 Act provides that the offences in Part 1 of the 1981 Act shall not apply to anything done under and in accordance with the terms of a licence granted by the appropriate authority, which is, in England, Natural England.

d. Section 7 of the 1981 Act (and regulations made under that section) provides for the registration and ringing of captive birds included in Schedule 4 to the 1981 Act. Statutory Instrument 2008/2357 has most recently amended the regulations to allow the Secretary of State to accept a marking of a bird in accordance with CITES as an alternative to a ring provided by the Secretary of State.

e. This licence specifically excludes the birds listed on Schedule 3 Part 1 of the 1981 Act (which are already permitted to be shown if ringed and bred in captivity).

Non-native (alien) species

f. Species listed as an invasive non-native (alien) animal are restricted by the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019. It is an offence to keep, breed, transport, or use or exchange any such species.

g. It is an offence to release into the wild any species:

• listed in Schedule 9 of the 1981 Act (under section 14 of the 1981 Act) not ordinarily resident in and not a regular visitor to Great Britain in a wild state (under section 14 of the 1981 Act and Article 3 of the Invasive Alien Species (Enforcement and Permitting) Order 2019 (‘the 2019 Order’)), or
• listed as an invasive non-native (alien) animal (under the 2019 Order)

Relevant legislation and good practice

h. Persons acting under a licence should have regard to legislation and good practice relevant to the action(s) undertaken, including animal welfare and the Animal Welfare Act 2006. It is an offence to cause any unnecessary suffering to an animal (including birds) under the control of man (section 4 of the 2006 Act). This applies to the humane dispatch of captured animals and the treatment of animals held in traps or nets, including decoy birds and non-target animals. The application of Animal Welfare Act 2006 to wildlife management activities is explained in Natural England leaflet Wildlife Management Advice Note: The Animal Welfare Act 2006: what it means for wildlife (WML-GU02).

Avian influenza (bird flu) 

Avian influenza (bird flu) is a notifiable animal disease. You should use the online service to report dead wild birds if you find:  

• 1 or more dead birds of prey (such as an owl, hawk or buzzard)  

• 3 or more dead birds that include at least 1 gull, swan, goose or duck  

• 5 or more dead wild birds of any species

Information and advice for all class and general licences

General information

i. Ordinarily, licences will be reissued on 1 January each year. You do not need to re-register for those with registration requirements). Please note, however, that they can be modified or revoked at any time by Natural England or the Secretary of State, but this will not be done unless there are good reasons for doing so. You are advised to check the terms and conditions of a licence prior to your first use of it each year in case of amendments.

j. The common name of the species given in a licence is included by way of guidance only; in the event of any dispute or proceedings, it is the scientific name of a species only that will be taken into account.

The limits of licences

k. Licences permit action only for the purposes specified on that licence.

l. Licences do not permit actions prohibited under any other legislation, nor do they confer any right of entry upon land.

m. Unless otherwise stated the provisions of Natural England licences only apply landward of the mean low water mark in England. The Marine Management Organisation is responsible for all licensing seaward of the mean low water mark.

Contact Natural England for licensing enquiries

Telephone: 020 802 61089

Email: wildlife@naturalengland.org.uk

Wildlife Licensing, Operations Delivery
Natural England
Horizon House
Deanery Road
Bristol
BS1 5AH

For other enquiries use the Enquiry Service.

Telephone: 0300 060 3900

Email: enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk

WML-GL14 [version January 2024]