Statutory guidance

Wild birds and animals: licence to release certain schedule 9 species (GL22)

Get a general licence to release native and formerly native wild bird or animal species whose release is normally prohibited.

From:
Natural England
Published
30 April 2019
Last updated
1 January 20232024 — See all updates

Applies to England

Documents

Licence to release native and formerly native wild bird and animal species whose release is normally prohibited (GL22)

HTML

Details

It’s an offence to release certain wild birds and animals under schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act. However with this general licence you can release certain native and formerly native species if you:

  • took them to tend and rehabilitate, and they now need to be released
  • accidentally caught them in a trap or net set for another species
  • took them temporarily under a Natural England licence (such as to ring or mark a bird)

This licence applies to:

  • barn owl
  • capercaillie
  • common crane
  • corncrake
  • Eurasian beaver
  • northern goshawk
  • red-billed chough
  • red kite
  • white-tailed eagle
  • wild boar

You do not need to apply for this general licence but you must meet its conditions and follow its instructions to use it.

You must comply with relevant animal welfare legislation at all times.

Published 30 April 2019
Last updated 1 January 20232024 + show all updates

  1. There is an update to this licence for 1 January 2024.

  2. Annual licence update, valid from 1 January 2023.

  3. Annual licence update, valid from 1 January 2022.

  4. Accessible version of licence added - HTML. Annual licence update.