Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 facts for kids

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.