Bird registration Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- I have found a wild injured Peregrine. What should I do with it ?
- I have found a dead Barn Owl on the side of the road I wish to have it mounted by a Taxidermist for my own use. Do I require any paperwork?
- I acquired a Peregrine X Saker today but I was not passed the Blue Registration document. How do I register the bird?
- I have recently acquired a Barn Owl. Do I need to register it with you?
- Do I need a licence to hunt other birds and rabbits with my Bird Of Prey?
I have found a wild injured Peregrine. What should I do with it ?
The statutory provisions state that it is an offence under section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to take or injure any wild bird. However section 4(2)(a) provides that it is not an offence if a person can show that the bird was disabled otherwise than by the persons unlawful act, and was taken solely for the purpose of tending and releasing it when no longer disabled.
Great care should be taken to ensure that no disabled wild bird becomes mal-imprinted as this condition could make the bird unsuitable for release. Any action or lack of action by the keeper that reduces the likelihood of successful release of a bird back to the wild may be construed as a breach of section 4(2)(a). In order to avoid any problems with imprinting and to optimise the chances of successful release back to the wild, birds should be placed with someone who has experience in tending injured wild birds and ensuring their successful release. Many disabled and injured birds will require treatment by a qualified veterinary practitioner and it is appropriate, if you have not already done so, to seek the advice of a qualified vet.
If you feel you are unable to ensure successful re-release of this bird you may wish to pass it on to a more experienced local keeper. If so, you should also pass on any records you have of the circumstances under which you acquired it. The Police Wildlife Crime Officer for your area may be able to provide local contacts if necessary. Should difficulties arise in transporting the bird, the local RSPCA may be able to help.
Alternatively, if you feel competent to care for the bird and ensure it is released back to the wild once fit, then you will need to keep a record of the circumstances in which the bird came into your keepership and its progress towards re-release. You will also need to register it with Animal Health whilst it remains in your possession under a leg ring number supplied by us via an Animal Health Wildlife Inspector. We should point out that registration conveys no right of ownership of a bird, nor should it be regarded as proof that a bird was legally taken in by you.
Please contact a Case Officer from the Bird Registration team who will make arrangements for an Animal Health Wildlife Inspector to visit your premises to fit a leg ring to this bird and to supply you with the necessary registration application forms. Please fill in these forms and return to the department along with the fee £20.00 to register the bird (this is refundable if the bird is sucessfully released back into the wild).
The Inspector will contact you directly to arrange a suitable time to visit. Please note that it is the person who has the bird in his possession or under his control to whom it should be registered so if you have passed the bird to another keeper, or you intend to do so in the near future, please let us know as soon as possible.
See Guidance note 13
I have found a dead Barn Owl on the side of the road I wish to have it mounted by a Taxidermist for my own use. Do I require any paperwork?
If you want to have this specimen mounted by a taxidermist you can simply commission a taxidermist to do this for you, providing that you only use the specimen for your own personal use in your own home no paperwork is required for this transaction.
However should there come a time when you or your family at some future date wish to sell this specimen or use it in any way commercially you will need an Article 10 Certificate. In order to obtain an Article 10 certificate you will need to prove details of legal acquisition from the wild and cause of death . We require details such as:
- Where the specimen was found as precise a location as is possible.(road number and nearest town or village or ordnance survey grid reference)
- Date the specimen was found
- Name and address of the finder of the bird
- Cause of death.
- You will also need to provide the Name and address of Taxidermist that mounted the specimen
. I would advise you to keep the details of acquisition from the wild so that should you wish to sell this specimen at a later date, you will have the relevant information we require be able to issue a certificate. Alternatively you can apply for a certificate now which allows one transaction in your name.
Please see guidance note GN10 and Bird Registration Information Sheet 5 which explains what the legislation says.
I acquired a Peregrine X Saker today but I was not passed the Blue Registration document. How do I register the bird?
You will need to fill in the application to re-register a Schedule 4 bird document DOE14103. This can be downloaded from the website or you can contact your Case Officer who will post you the form.
I have recently acquired a Barn Owl. Do I need to register it with you?
There is no requirement to register owls and generally no licence is needed to keep them. However, a certificate known as an ‘Article 10’ will be needed for the ‘commercial use’ of an owl if it is listed in Annex A to the EC Regulations . It is not an offence to be in possession of an owl without a certificate, whether it is ringed/microchipped or not, providing it can be proved that it is captive-bred and not being used for any commercial gain . It will be your responsibility to show that a bird is lawfully in captivity.
See Information sheet 4 which explains what the legislation says.
Do I need a licence to hunt other birds and rabbits with my Bird Of Prey?
You do not require a licence to hunt Rabbits with Birds Of Prey. It is advisable however to obtain the landowners permission before commencing.
Certain species of wild birds may also be hunted for the purposes of falconry but for this you will require a Quarry Licence.
Natural England are responsible for issuing quarry licences for falconry activity in England. Applications from falconers in Scotland and Wales should refer to the Scottish Executive and Welsh Assembly Government as appropriate. If a falconer with an English address wants to fly his bird in Scotland or Wales he should apply to the Scots or Welsh. Similarly, Natural England are responsible for processing applications from Scottish and Welsh falconers wanting to fly their birds in England.
Page last modified:31 March 2008
Page published: 31 March 2008