In the UK, it is illegal to harm or kill any wild birds, such as pigeons and seagulls as per the DEFRA ( Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. In the first instance, any person with a bird pest issue in the UK must first try non-lethal methods of bird control such as bird spikes before considering other methods such as lethal control. This overview covers the legal issues surrounding the lawful removal of pigeons and seagulls from your property.
It is always the property owner’s responsibility to ensure any works carried out are legal, whether they are doing it themselves or instructing a pest control company. The contractor is not legally liable if providing services on behalf of a third party. It is always the responsibility of the owner of the property upon whose site or building those controls are provided. To reiterate, non-lethal methods of removal must be tried first before looking to employ lethal control. If pest birds are causing problems that directly affect public health and safety or cause damage and humane methods have been tried and failed, there are General Licenses under which lethal control is allowed. Do take a look through our humane Defender Bird Spike products before considering other methods.
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
The lethal control (killing) of pigeons, seagulls and other wild birds in the UK is legislated by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), courtesy of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (Chapter 69).
As summarised by the RSPB:
This act offers protection to wild birds, their eggs and nests in England, Scotland and Wales. Note that certain parts of the Act apply differently to Scotland....Generally, subject to certain exceptions, it makes it illegal to do any of the following:
- Intentionally kill, injure or take any wild bird.
- Intentionally take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built.
- Intentionally take or destroy the egg of any wild bird.
- Possess wild birds (dead or alive) and their eggs
- Use traps, poison or similar items to kill, injure or take wild birds.
Intentionally or recklessly disturb any wild bird listed on Schedule 1 while it is nest building, or at a nest containing eggs or young, or disturb the dependent young of such a bird.
Non-lethal Control
Not all pest birds are equal and different laws apply to different species. It is imperative to establish which law and licence is needed before any bird control is undertaken. The feral pigeon is dealt with differently to a wood pigeon and several species of gull in the UK are protected due to their poor conservation status. In all cases, every effort must be made to control the bird issue using non-lethal methods such as bird spikes. Bird spikes are a humane bird deterrent recognised by Picas and the RSPCA and our Defender range has over 20 different spikes suited to all possible problem roosting and nesting areas. They act as both a visual and physical deterrent, gently encouraging birds to move to a more appropriate perch.