Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is an law for environmental conservation made by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It protects native species and restricts the release of non-native species into the wild. The Act is split into four parts. Killing most mammals and almost all birds is illegal in the United Kingdom, except for certain types and for certain reasons.
Licenses
General licences under the act to hunt birds are issued each year by the Department for Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in England. The Department can give a licence to kill or disturb birds. It also gives out a general licence. This allows any "authorised person", that is someone who has the landowner's permission, to kill certain birds, or to destroy their eggs or nests, if there is no other way to get rid of the birds.
This table shows the name of the bird, and the reasons (
) that type of bird can be destroyed.
| Common name | Scientific name | To prevent the spread of disease1 | To help conserve wild birds | To preserve public health or public safety | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada Goose | Branta Canadensis | |  | | |
| Crow | Corvus corone | | | | |
| Dove, Collared | Streptopelia decaocto | | | | |
| Gull, Great Black-backed | Larus marinus | | | | |
| Gull, Herring | Larus argentatus | | | | |
| Gull, Lesser Black-backed | Larus fuscus | | | | |
| Jackdaw | Corvus monedula | | | | |
| Jay | Garrulus glandarius | | | | |
| Magpie | Pica pica | | | | |
| Pigeon, Feral | Columba livia | | | | |
| Rook | Corvus frugilegus | | | | |
| Woodpigeon | Columba palumbus | | | | |
1or to prevent serious damage to livestock or damage to foodstuffs for livestock, crops, vegetables, fruit, growing timber, fisheries or inland waters.