Information Sheet 2 - Registration of Birds (Scotland)
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?
- Registration Of Captive Bred Chicks
- Rings issued by the Secretary of State
- Imported Birds
- If a Schedule 4 Bird is not wearing a ring and is not licensed to be kept unringed
- Wild Disabled Schedule 4 Birds
- Termination Of Registration
- Temporary Movements Of Birds
- Penalties For Non-Registration
- Inspections
- Complaints Procedure
1. 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 Scotland and Wales) 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; in most cases, but not all, this means a uniquely numbered ring supplied by WLRS.
2. 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.
3. 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 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.
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.
4. 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 Scotland must be fitted with a ring issued by the Secretary of State and must be registered using that ring unless there is a good reason why this should not be done.
5. Rings Issued By The Secretary Of State
CLOSE RING - a continuous band of bronze-coloured metal stamped with a white four or five digit number, followed by the letters ‘DOE’ and then a further letter which indicates the size of the ring, eg 1234 DOE X;
This is the only type of ring the secretary of state issues.
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. Residents of Scotland should direct their enquiries to the Scottish Government (see Address 3 at the end of this information sheet).
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, ie ‘UR’, followed by a five-digit number, eg ‘UR99999’. Licences issued in Scotland will have the prefix ‘URS’ 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 sale1 is authorised either by a licence issued under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 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 and 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 1, 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 (see Information Sheet 8) to Address 1. We will then send you a new registration document in your name.
6. Imported Birds
CITES listed Schedule 4 Birds will be registered under the bird’s CITES compliant ring or microchip number.
Non CITES listed Schedule 4 birds will be registered under a unique identifier. This may be a microchip, unique breeders ring or a UR licence number (i.e. a licence to keep a bird un ringed issued by Scotland.
7. 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. 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 or has the necessary licence to be kept unringed. The previous keeper should notify WLRS of the transfer by immediately returning the disposal slip at the bottom of the registration document.
8. Wild Disabled Schedule 4 Birds
If the Schedule 4 bird you acquire is wild disabled and has not been ringed 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, you should apply to the Scottish Government (see address 3) for an application form for a URS Licence to enable you to register the bird.
- Complete and return the application form to the Scottish Government You will then be sent a URS Licence.
- On receipt of your URS Licence contact WLRS we will send you the form for you to register the bird under the UR Licence number.
- Complete and return the registration document 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 microchipped. the procedure to be followed is:
- Please send in the registration document (previously issued with a URS licence number) with the micro chip 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
9. 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 paragraph 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 DOE ring and registration document 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;
- 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 DOE ring for export to the importing country;
- The DOE 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 contact WLRS before the ring is removed or becomes totally illegible. The ring should be returned to WLRS with a brief note of explanation and a replacement will be issued on receipt of the old one. It is particularly important that, wherever possible, you contact WLRS before the ring is removed so that we can ascertain whether the ring removal and re-ringing needs to be witnessed by one of the Wildlife Inspectors. This applies only to keepers in England and Scotland. Keepers in Wales will be able to register a bird under a CITES approved micro-chip if they wish;
- 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.
10. 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 paragraph 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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.
Page last modified: 04 November 2008
Page published: 04 November 2008