Information Sheet 2 - Registration of Birds (England)
The information on this page is available as a downloadable document here 
IMPORTANT NOTE This information sheet is intended as an informal guide to the basic legal requirements of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 and the EC CITES Regulations 338/97 and 865/2006 (CITES is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). You should seek your own independent legal advice on detailed points of law but we will try to offer advice if you contact us with specific queries.
Contents
- What the Law says about Obtaining and Registering Certain Birds
- Who Should Register a Bird?
- How do I apply to Register a Bird?
- Peregrine Falcons and Merlin’s
- Registration of Captive Bred Chicks
- If a Schedule 4 Bird is not wearing a ring and is not licensed to be kept unringed
- Imported Birds
- Wild disabled Schedule 4 birds
- Termination of Registration
- Temporary Movements of Birds
- Penalties for non-registration
- Inspections
- Complaints Procedure
What The Law Says About Obtaining And Registering Certain Birds
We strongly advise that you check the origins of any bird before you acquire it. The 1981 Act forbids the taking of most birds from the wild, unless they are disabled, (see Information Sheet 5) and puts the burden of proof on the keeper to show that the bird was acquired legally. Therefore a keeper could be found guilty of possessing an illegally taken bird even if he/she did not personally remove it from the wild.
Any bird listed in Schedule 4 to the Act (see Information Sheet 3 England) and kept in captivity must be registered with the Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service (WLRS) of Animal Health (see Address 1 at the end of this information sheet) in the name of the day to day keeper. Each bird must be registered under an acceptable unique mark supplied by the breeder, either a closed ring with a unique number, or a microchip transponder number.
WLRS WILL NO LONGER BE SUPPLYING RINGS TO BREEDERS IN ENGLAND
Who Should Register A Bird?
If you keep a Schedule 4 bird, or have such a bird in your possession or control, you are the ‘Keeper’, even though you may not be the owner of the bird. You must apply to register the bird in your name and inform us of the address at which it is kept. The owner of a bird should not register it if it is being kept on his behalf, or under an agreement, by someone else.
How Do I Apply To Register A Bird?
Most first-time keepers of a Schedule 4 bird will have obtained their bird from someone who has, or should have, already registered the bird in their own name. A blue registration document is issued to each keeper who applies for registration, and the document should be passed on to the next keeper along with the bird. The back of the registration document serves as a registration application form for the new keeper.
The previous keeper should notify WLRS of the transfer by immediately returning the disposal slip at the bottom of the registration document.
If you are not given a registration document when you acquire the bird, you can contact WLRS (see Address 1) for an alternative application form.
Peregrines And Merlins
Unless they have a valid Article 10 certificate issued by the UK CITES Management Authority (the WLRS), Peregrine Falcons and Merlin’s must be registered with a blue registration document.
Registration Of Captive-Bred Chicks
Our ‘Guide to Close-Ringing of Captive-Bred Schedule 4 Birds’ sets out the procedures for the initial ringing and registration of captive-bred chicks, copies of which are available (see Address 1). The main point to note here is that chicks bred in captivity in England will not be issued with closed rings by WLRS.
Breeders must fit closed rings or microchip transponders from their own suppliers. A closed ring must have a unique number which could include a post code, breeder’s initials, telephone number, or breeding year, etc. in the sequence (i.e. 001AZ12BY09X). A microchip transponder must comply with ISO Standards 11784:1996 [E] and 11785:1996 [E] (This is a microchip with a 15 digit code number). Keepers may wish to fit both a closed ring and a microchip transponder, both of which can be shown on the registration document.
The purpose of the mark is simply to identify the bird. It does not necessarily mean that the bird was legally acquired, or is legally registered or captive bred.
A small number of birds cannot wear rings for certain reasons. In these particular instances the keeper may need to obtain a licence to keep the bird registered without a ring. Before obtaining a Schedule 4 bird you should check that:
- The current keeper has a registration document showing the bird to be registered in his name and the details on it match the bird. In the case of an unringed bird the licence number will be quoted in the ring box, i.e. ‘UR’, followed by a five-digit number, e.g. ‘UR99999’. Licences issued in Scotland will have the prefix ‘URS’ and those issued in Wales will have ‘URW’ followed by the five-digit number.
- You can read the number of the ring and it is the same as the number printed on the registration document.
- If you intend to buy the bird, the sale(1) is authorised either by a licence issued under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 by Natural England (see Address 2), or a certificate issued by WLRS under EC Regulation 338/97 (see Information Sheet 7).
(1) Under the EC Regulations the controls apply to the purchase, offer to purchase, acquisition for commercial purposes, use for commercial gain, sale, keeping for sale, offering for sale or transporting for sale of all specimens of species listed in Annex A. The term commercial is very wide ranging and includes hire, barter, and exchange.. If you intend to use birds commercially, Guidance Notes 2, 5 and 6 will be useful. Contact us if you are unsure about any aspect of commercial use.
If everything appears to be correct, fill in the back of the registration document and send it, with the appropriate fee of £17.00 (by cheque or Postal Order payable to Animal Health) to Address 1. We will then send you a new registration document in your name.
If A Schedule 4 Bird Is Not Wearing A Ring And Is Not Licensed To Be Kept Unringed
It is unusual for a captive-bred Schedule 4 bird (see Information Sheet 3) not to be wearing a ring unless it is licensed to be kept unringed or it is fitted with a microchip transponder you are advised to inquire carefully about its registration and the origin of the bird. Remember, if you acquire a Schedule 4 bird of a species that occurs naturally in the wild in the UK, the law states that you must be able to show that the bird is legally kept in captivity. If a Schedule 4 bird is to be registered properly the keeper must ensure that the bird is either ringed, micro chipped, or has the necessary licence to be kept unringed.
Imported Birds
In England, all Schedule 4 birds are listed on CITES and will therefore be registered under their CITES compliant ring or microchip number and a blue registration document will be issued. Imported Peregrines and Merlin’s that have an Article 10 issued by another EU Country must register the bird with the WLRS and be issued with a blue registration document.
Birds which lose their closed rings must be fitted with a microchip transponder and registered under their microchip number.
Wild Disabled Schedule 4 Birds
If a bird is to be rehabilitated and released back into the wild within a short period of time it does not need to be marked and will be registered under a UR Licence (i.e. a licence to keep a bird unringed) issued by WLRS for an appropriate period to be determined on a case by case basis. If the bird is so disabled that a vet considers it is likely to remain in captivity permanently, it must be fitted with a microchip transponder and registered by the Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service under the microchip number.
If the Schedule 4 bird you acquire is wild disabled and has not been issued with a UR license and registered, the procedure to be followed is:
- Contact us immediately.
- A letter will then be sent to you confirming your initial contact and outlining the relevant legislation.
- If you decide to care for the bird yourself, an application form for a UR Licence will be sent to you to enable you to register the bird.
- Complete and return the application form(s), with the correct fee. You will then be sent a registration document for the bird.
If the injuries heal and it is able to fend for itself in the wild, the bird must be released back to the wild and the registration document returned to WLRS (see Information Sheet 5). The initial registration fee will be refunded.
If the bird is so disabled that a vet considers it is unable to be released, the bird must then be fitted with a microchip transponder. The procedure to be followed is:
- Please send in the registration document (previously issued with a UR licence number) with the microchip number attached (i.e. a sticker with the number and barcode), or a copy of the microchip certificate.
- Along with your registration document please send in a letter from your vet confirming the bird is not releasable and why.
- The bird will then be registered under the microchip number and a new registration document issued. There will be no extra charge for this.
Termination Of Registration
Regulation 4 of the Wildlife and Countryside (registration and ringing of certain captive birds) Regulations 1982, amended by wildlife and countryside act (amendment) regulations SI 478 1991, sets out the circumstances in which registration of a bird ceases. it is illegal to keep an unregistered schedule 4 bird.
Registration ceases when:
- The address of where the bird is kept changes unless it is one of the temporary changes mentioned in section 10. In these circumstances you must contact us immediately and give details of the new address and the date from which it was kept there. The registration document should also be returned for amendment.
- The bird dies or is released. In either of these circumstances please return the registration document and DOE ring (if fitted), with a brief note of explanation.
- The bird escapes. Return the registration document, again with a note of explanation. Any later recovery of the bird must be reported to WLRS and the bird re-registered. There will be no extra charge for this
- The bird is exported. Please return the registration document with a note of the export date; you may need to keep the bird ringed with the closed ring for export to the importing country.
- The closed ring is removed or the writing or numbering ceases to be legible. Once the ring is removed or the numbering/lettering can no longer be read the bird is no longer registered and is being kept illegally. Keepers are advised to have the bird micro chipped and register the bird under this number.
- The bird is disposed of by way of sale (including hire, barter or exchange), loan or gift (see Information Sheet 7). Please inform WLRS by completing and returning the tear-off slip at the bottom of the registration document.
It is the responsibility of the new keeper to apply immediately for registration of the bird in their name. The registration will last for as long as the bird is in your possession.
Temporary Movements Of Birds
Whenever you move your bird away from the address at which it is kept, or it is kept by someone else, you should bear in mind section 9 (i) above. If it were shown that the bird was no longer kept at the address at which it is registered and that you had not notified WLRS of the move, you may be guilty of an offence.
However, there are other circumstances which allow for short term exchanges, which may be sufficient to meet your needs as partners in the ownership of the bird:
When the bird is kept, possessed, or under the control of a person other than its registered keeper, its registration is no longer valid UNLESS it is intended to be returned to its original keeper within a specified period.
The “specified period” is
- where the bird is at a different address – 3 weeks.
- where the bird is at the same address but kept by a different person – 6 weeks.
When the bird is kept, possessed or under the control of its registered keeper but is no longer kept at its registered address, its registration is no longer valid UNLESS
- It is intended that the bird will go back to its usual address within 3 weeks.
and…. - The Secretary of State (i.e. WLRS) is notified in writing before the bird is moved, of the details of the new address and the date from which it will be kept there.
Penalties For Non-Registration
Non-registration of a bird listed on schedule 4 is an offence. upon conviction, the maximum penalty is a fine of £5,000 for each offence. conviction also makes it an offence to keep schedule 4 birds for 5 years.
Inspections
Inspections to see that Schedule 4 birds are correctly registered and ringed may be made by Wildlife Inspectors. Such inspections can be unannounced. All Inspectors carry an identity card that must be shown to the keeper before the start of an inspection.
Complaints Procedure
If you have any complaints about your registration application(s), please speak to your case officer or, if necessary, to the Section Manager.
If you are still not satisfied please write to Animal Health’s Complaints Officer:
Mr B Ellis
Head of Corporate Services
Animal Health
Block C, Government Buildings
Whittingdon Road
Worcester
WR5 2LQ
Your complaint will be investigated thoroughly and you can expect to receive a reply within 25 working days. If the matter requires a longer time to investigate you will be informed of the reasons for the delay and when you can expect a full reply. If you are not satisfied with the eventual response you can ask your MP to request that the Independent Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (the Parliamentary Ombudsman) conducts an independent review of the complaint and how it has been handled.
Useful Contacts
Find useful bird registration contacts here.
List of Information Sheets
Information Sheet 1 - Possession, Competitive Showing and Display of Birds
Information Sheet 2 - Registration of Birds England
Information Sheet 2 - Registration of Birds Scotland
Information Sheet 2 - Registration of Birds Wales
Information Sheet 3 - List of Registrable Bird Species Scotland and Wales
Information Sheet 3 - List of Registrable Bird Species England
Information Sheet 4 - Owls
Information Sheet 5 - Wild Disabled Schedule 4 Birds
Information Sheet 6 - Falconry
Information Sheet 7 - Sale of Live Birds
Information Sheet 8 - Fees
Information Sheet 9 - Sale of Dead Birds
The full range of Bird Registration Information sheets is available from our website. These may be printed in large print format.
Page last modified: 04 November 2008
Page published: 04 November 2008