Wild birds: licence to keep certain species for rehabilitation (GL07)

As an authorised person, this licence lets you keep the following species for up to 15 days without registering:

• honey buzzards
• golden eagles
• white-tailed eagles
• peregrine falcons
• goshawks
• marsh harriers
• Montagu’s harriers
• merlins
• ospreys

You’re authorised to use this licence if you:

• previously kept birds under a licence that expired on 31 January 1996
• were the registered keeper of 3 disabled wild-bred schedule 4 birds that you returned to the wild and let the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs know
• are an RSPCA inspector
• are an RSPB official

You can only keep a bird with this licence if:

• the bird is disabled
• you plan to rehabilitate and release it

Within 15 days of first keeping a disabled bird, you must do one of the following:

• release it into the wild
• pass it to a vet who may keep it for up to 6 weeks under licence GL08
• register it

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