Bird registration - Frequently Asked Questions
- 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 and I wish to have it mounted by a Taxidermist for my own use. Do I require any paperwork?
- I have recently acquired a captive bred 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?
- How much does it cost to register my birds?
- How much does it cost to apply for an Article 10 certificate?
- Can I pay by BACS or Credit Card?
- I have recently purchased a Peregrine/Saker Hybrid. I have an Article 10 for the bird, do I need to register it?
- How long should my application to register a bird take?
- How long should my application for an Article 10 certificate take?
- Do you supply Closed Rings for my birds?
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 avian vet.
If you feel you are unable to ensure successful rehabilitation and re-release of this bird you must pass it on to a keeper that has the necessary skills to successfully release the bird. 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 rehabilitated and 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. 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 as soon as any wild Schedule 4 bird comes into your care. If youdecide to care for the bird yourself, we will 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 successfully released back into the wild).
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.
The rehabilitation of wild disabled Schedule 4 birds will be monitored and an Animal Health Wildlife Inspector may visit.
I have found a dead Barn Owl on the side of the road and 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, no paperwork is required for this transaction.
However, should there come a time when you or your family 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, giving 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
- The name and address of the taxidermist who mounted the specimen
If the bird is found by someone other than yourself, you should also obtain a signed letter from them stating that they have given it to you free of charge.
Please see Guidance Note 10 (GN10) (PDF 180KB) and Bird Registration Information Sheet 5 which explains the legislation further.
I have recently acquired a Barn Owl. Do I need to register it with you?
There is no requirement to register owlsand 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 the legislation further.
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 be made to the Scottish Government and Welsh Government as appropriate. If a falconer with an English address wants to fly his bird in Scotland or Wales, he should apply to the Scottish Executive or Welsh Government. Similarly, Natural England are responsible for processing applications from Scottish and Welsh falconers wanting to fly their birds in England.
How much does it cost to register my birds?
All information regarding bird registration fees can be found in our bird registration pages.
How much does it cost to apply for an Article 10 certificate?
A fee of £25 is required for each application to commercially use a single specimen or any number of specimens as long as they:
(a) are of the same species (in the case of animals other than corals) or genus (in the case of plants and corals), and are either-
(b) included together on a single previously issued commercial use certificate, or
(c) were imported into a member state on a single import permit, or
(d) have been bred from the same parents in the same breeding season.
Can I pay by BACS or Credit Card?
Yes. We are able to accept payment by BACS and Credit Card.
To pay by card (all major credit and debit cards accepted except American Express), contact our Central Finance Department on 01904 455 395 or email: ssd.financeAR@defra.gsi.gov.uk.
For further details on paying by BACS, please contact:
- Russ Sear on 0117 372 8488, email: russ.sear@animalhealth.gsi.gov.uk; or
- Joanna Butler on 0117 372 8437, email: joanna.butler@animalhealth.gsi.gov.uk.
We will continue to accept payments by cheque or postal order made payable to Animal Health.
I have recently purchased a Peregrine/Saker Hybrid. I have an Article 10 for the bird, do I need to register it?
There is now no longer a requirement to register hybrid birds.
How long should my application to register a bird take?
We will process 90% of fully completed applications within 7 working days, and the remainder within 15 working days.
How long should my application for an Article 10 certificate take?
We will process 90% of fully completed applications within 15 working days and the remainder within 30 working days.
Do you supply Closed Rings for my birds?
We no longer supply breeders with any type of ring.
All breeders will then be responsible for obtaining and fitting their own breeder’s rings. We can supply breeders with a list of ring suppliers but cannot recommend which supplier should be used. The list can be found in our bird registration 'useful links' page.
Breeders are responsible for ensuring their closed rings are uniquely numbered. There is no prescriptive requirement for how this should be done, but you could, for example, include your initials and telephone number or post code in the ring number. It is in your interest to make sure that ring numbers are as unique to you as possible.
