2026 changes to bird licences – UK and Eire

 

A great deal has changed in the Bird General Licences since their introduction more than 30 years ago. The removal of house sparrows and starlings from the General Licences marked an important and positive shift in approach.

More recently, the pace of change has accelerated. Over the last six years in particular, there have been numerous amendments reflecting evolving legal, environmental, and operational considerations.

The latest General Licences came into effect on 1 January. Below is a summary of the key changes across each of the UK nations and the Republic of Ireland. We strongly recommend that all users read the full licence(s) in detail to ensure ongoing compliance.

If you would like any technical advice or clarification, please contact the NPTA technical team at Technical@npta.org.uk 

 

England

1) Issuing authority & licence duration

Historically and for 2025, licences were issued by DEFRA and most recently were valid for 2 years (1 Jan 2024–31 Dec 2025).
In 2026, bird Licences (from 1 Jan 2026) are now issued by Natural England and are only valid for one year (1 Jan–31 Dec 2026).

This shorter validity supports more responsive licence updates, especially with issues like avian influenza being now more prevalent.

 

2) Licence content & conditions: what’s new in 2026

a. Structure and wording

• • • The wording and structure of bird licences GL40; GL41 and GL42 have been updated to be in line with other licences, aiming for clearer conditions and better guidance.

b. Species lists and conservation focus

• • • GL40 (conservation) now replaces the older approach of only referencing red and amber-listed species with a refined list of “birds of conservation concern”.

c. Feral pigeon control

• • • GL41 (public health/safety) reinstates the ‘use of artificial light’ to control feral pigeons at night — This had been absent from the 2024/25 conditions.

d. Avian influenza / disturbance condition

• • • A new condition has been added across the licences requiring users to ‘avoid excessive disturbance of certain birds associated with protected sites’ to reduce the risk of avian influenza transmission.

e. European Sites (SPA/SAC) conditions

• • • There are small changes to safe working distances and buffer conditions around European protected sites to limit disturbance, but not outright bans.

f. Standard licence conditions note

• • • A note will be added to the standard licence conditions for trapping (GL33) highlighting that decoy birds must be registered on the poultry register.

 

For more information: Bird licences – GOV.UK

 

SCOTLAND

1) One key change from 2025 to 2026. The licences are still valid for one calendar year.

New or updated methods under GL02 & GL03

• Additional method for controlling feral pigeons at night:
  In the 2026 licences, an additional method is explicitly included for feral pigeon control under GL02 and GL03 — specifically shooting at night under certain conditions.

 

2) Standing conditions and species lists

• The species covered and the roles of GL01, GL02 and GL03 remain broadly the same between the two years. 2025 licences were essentially the same as 2024, with that one amendment enabling illumination/ night shooting which continued into the 2026 suite.
• There is a commitment stated in NatureScot guidance to review certain predator species’ impacts and potentially update licences in the future (e.g., magpie, jackdaw, rook inclusion etc.), but any substantive changes from the 2026 licences will feed into the 2027 releases.

 

For more information: Birds and licensing | NatureScot

 

Wales

General Licences for Birds — What’s new in 2026

1) Expanded Licence Suite

In 2026, Natural Resources Wales has issued a substantially expanded suite of general licences compared with 2025. The new list of licences now includes licences that were not published in 2025:

2025 general licences included (for example):

• GL001 – Prevent serious damage/spread of disease
• GL002 – Feral pigeon – public health/safety
• GL004 – Conservation (carrion crow)
• GL005 – Ruddy duck control
• GL016 – Take certain wild birds from food premises

2026 general licences include all of the above plus new ones covering additional activities, which generally do not pertain to bird management. Two examples:

• GL013 – Licence for competitive showing/captive training
• GL014 – Incubation & rearing of certain captive-bred birds up to 15 days

 

2) Main condition changes include:

a. Age restriction removed

• • • The 2025 licences had a clause limiting licence users to aged 18+. This restriction has been removed in the 2026 versions.

b. Wording on humane dispatch amended

• • • Instead of an absolute requirement to pursue and humanely kill an injured bird, the licence now requires “reasonable endeavours” to do so, recognising that there are practical limitations.

c. Firearms condition adjusted

• • • The specific condition requiring firearms use only within their effective range has been removed and included instead as a general advisory note.

d. Non-target reporting narrowed

• • • Reporting of incidental capture of non-target species now applies only to European protected species and birds of prey, rather than all non-target species.

e. Minor amendments already made in 2025

• • • Natural Resources Wales amended General Licence 002 (feral pigeon control) in September 2025 to clarify that decoy pigeons cannot be used in certain traps — an important wording change carried into the current licence text.

 

For more information: Natural Resources Wales/Bird licensing

 

Northern Ireland

1)Overall Licence framework remains the same as does the calendar year validity

In Northern Ireland, bird general licences are issued by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and are required to legally kill or take certain wild birds without needing an individual licence. There are three main licences:

• TPG1 – To kill or take certain birds for public health/public safety
• TPG2 – To kill or take certain birds for prevention of serious damage or spread of disease
• TPG3 – To kill or take certain birds for conservation of wild birds
  Each licence has specific species and conditions attached.

 

2) Indirect Contextual Changes (but not licence text changes)

While the licences themselves haven’t changed, some regulatory context around birds and poultry in NI has shifted in 2025, which can affect how licences are used in practice:

 Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) Measures

• In early 2025, a Northern Ireland Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) and housing orders for poultry were introduced to reduce risk from wild birds.
• Later in 2025, the AIPZ and housing requirements were lifted (housing lifted in May, and bird gatherings permitted again under the general licence for bird gatherings).

These disease control orders are separate from the general licences themselves but affect how/when licence holders can operate (e.g., biosecurity practices, gathering restrictions).

 

For more information: Wildlife Licensing | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

 

Eire

On the 11 December 2025, the Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity signed two new Declarations – a General Wild Bird Declaration and an Air Safety Wild Bird Declaration.

The General Wild Bird Declaration covers three areas. The first covers conservation of wild birds in the interests of public health and safety. The second covers the prevention of serious damage to crops, livestock, forest, fisheries and water. The final covers the protection of flora and fauna.

Both declarations are both applicable for one calendar year and continues the advice for voluntary reporting by email or post of the species and numbers affected.

They are released under regulation of the European Communities (Bird Declarations)  Regulations 2023.