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Wildlife Management and Licensing: Specially protected birds
Legal status
Specially protected or Schedule 1 birds 
[301 kB] receive full protection under the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). Part I birds are protected at all times, Part II during the close season only. In addition to the protection from killing or taking that all birds, their nests and eggs have under the Act, Schedule 1 birds and their young must not be disturbed at the nest. For full details of legal protection always refer to the primary legislation and subsequent amendments.
Under certain circumstances it may be possible to obtain a licence to disturb a Schedule 1 bird. The Natural England Wildlife Licensing Unit administers such licence applications for the following purposes:
- science, education or conservation (please note for ringing or marking or the nest record scheme apply to the British Trust for Ornithology)
- photography (please note quotas apply and are detailed on the application form below)
- preventing the spread of disease
- preserving public health or public safety
Please note that the legislation does not permit licences to be issued in relation to development of land.
Advice & leaflets - resolving problems
Often potential conflicts between protected birds and people can be resolved without recourse to any licensed action. There are currently no Natural England leaflets on Schedule 1 birds and licensing. If you require specific advice contact us.
If the activity you propose cannot be carried out without a licence please download one of our application forms below.
How to apply for a licence
If you wish to apply for a licence you will need to complete a form, all application forms can be downloaded from this website, in most cases they should be posted to the address on the form. Please note that we are currently updating our forms to allow electronic submission. If you are unable to download a form they can be obtained directly from the Wildlife Management and Licensing Service. There is no charge for this licence or for advice.
Following receipt of your completed application, a Wildlife Management Adviser may contact you to discuss the case or arrange a visit to the site where the problem is occurring. The adviser will assess the situation and provide guidance on the remedial options available where applicable.
We aim to process damage, agriculture and public health and safety related licence applications in 30 working days from date of receipt and science, education and conservation cases in 15 working days.
Please download an application form using the links below: