Page 1275 - Xmo Strata - Bulletin Archive
P. 1275
Health, Safety & Environmental Bulletin No 471
09 July 2015
Wild Birds
We recently had an incident on a site where a wild bird’s nest was found inside an MID sign.
Unfortunately the nest was only found after the sign had been removed and therefore the only option
was to move it to a nearby tree.
It is illegal to disturb a wild birds nest and can result in a fine of up to £5,000 and/or 6 months
imprisonment, so if you find one stop and contact your line manager.
The following is guidance from the RSPB:
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is the primary legislation which protects animals, plants, and
certain habitats in the UK.
Information on the legal protection afforded to wild birds in England, Wales and Scotland in Part 1 of
the Act is given in these pages. However, we cannot hope to answer all specialist queries or problems
on the website. For detailed information, it is advisable to consult the Act itself, which is available from
HMSO – please see the Acts of the UK Parliament link on this page.
Please also note that because of devolution there are now some significant differences in the law
between the constituent countries of the UK.
Definition of a wild bird
Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, a wild bird is defined as any bird of a species that is resident in
or is a visitor to the European Territory of any member state in a wild state.
Game birds however are not included in this definition (except for limited parts of the Act). They are
covered by the Game Acts, which fully protect them during the close season.
Basic protection
All birds, their nests and eggs are protected by law and it is thus an offence, with certain exceptions (see
below), to:
• intentionally kill, injure or take any wild bird
• intentionally take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird whilst it is in use or being built
• intentionally take or destroy the egg of any wild bird
• have in one's possession or control any wild bird, dead or alive, or any part of a wild bird, which
has been taken in contravention of the Act or the Protection of Birds Act 1954
• have in one's possession or control any egg or part of an egg which has been taken in
contravention of the Act or the Protection of Birds Act 1954
• use traps or similar items to kill, injure or take wild birds
