Bird Surveys

Birds

In the UK, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 makes it illegal to intentionally kill, injure, or take any wild bird, or to take, damage, or destroy the nest of a wild bird while it is being built or in use, as well as to take or destroy its eggs.

Additional protections are apply to Schedule 1 species, which are protected from disturbance while nesting. Other relevant legislation includes the European Birds Directive and the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act.

All birds are therefore protected, making it an offence to:  

• Kill, injure or capture wild birds
• Destroy the nest of a wild bird while it is being built or in use, as well as to take or destroy its eggs

Birds can be affected by a range of situations including:

• Developments that impact bird habitat or species

Surveys may also be needed to inform conservation projects, changes in land use or site management activities.

The best time of year to conduct surveys can be found in our ecology calendar.

If your Preliminary Ecological Appraisal has highlighted concerns about birds within your site - you may need the surveys listed down below:

Adonis Blue will work with you to carry out the necessary surveys for your site.

Certain species-specific surveys (eg. Barn Owl) may have different timing requirements, therefore we recommend contacting us for further guidance and advice.