Bird crime
In the UK all wild birds, their nests, and their eggs are protected by law. It is against the law to intentionally kill, injure, or take wild birds, unless carried out under a licence. Offences can carry a prison sentence of up to six months.
Despite this, many species are shot, poisoned, and illegally trapped, as well as having their nests disturbed. These species often includes birds of prey such as:
- golden eagles
- peregrine falcons
- buzzards
- red kites
- hen harriers
How to spot bird crime
You can can help prevent bird crime by keeping watch for suspicious activity, poisoned bait sites, and illegal ‘pole traps’, which are are used to capture birds of prey before the trapper returns to kill them.
If you see any of the following, it may be the result of a bird crime:
- dead birds of prey lying next to dead pigeons, rabbits, pheasants, or other poisoned baits. You must not touch these
- live birds of prey caught in any trap
- any spring traps set out in the open that are not within a cage tunnel or other enclosed tunnel structure
- any 'pole traps', which are spring traps set up on the top of a post
Birds can die from natural causes, particularly avian influenza in recent years. For this reason, it is extremely important that you do not touch any dead birds, but please continue to report them.
Find out more about illegal hunting
What to do if you see a crime
If you come across a dead bird or suspicious object, this could be a wildlife crime scene. Every piece of information may be crucial in prosecuting an offender.
You should
- take photographs if you can, or make a sketch as soon as possible
- take photographs of the surroundings and any landmarks to help officers relocate the crime scene
- use a coin or notebook for scale if you're photographing an object, but don't disturb anything
- note the location as accurately as possible by grid reference, GPS, or what3words
- note a description of any suspects and any vehicle numbers
- note the time and date and what happened
You should not
- disturb the scene by walking around it unnecessarily and trampling possible evidence
- move anything
- touch any traps, dead birds, or suspected poison baits. Many poisons, such as carbuforan, are extremely dangerous even in very small amounts and can be absorbed through the skin
- approach anyone you suspect of committing crime, as they may become violent or aggressive
Report it
If you spot something illegal or suspicious, you can report it online.
If the crime or suspected crime is still taking place right now, call 999 immediately. Never approach suspects yourself as they may react violently.
If the crime or suspected crime is no longer taking place, please use the national police non-emergency number 101.
When you are connected to the police, ask to speak to a wildlife crime officer and make sure you get an ‘incident report number’.
Other ways to report
If you want to report a crime anonymously, you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
You can report suspected pesticides and poisoning incidents to the Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme (WIIS) on 0800 321600.
Additional information
Guidance on legal trapping
A variety of cage and spring traps, plus snares, can legally be used to control certain mammals and birds.
Please be aware that if you damage them, you may be committing an offence of criminal damage.