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Animal and Plant Health Agency gov.uk

Hold a bird gathering in England

Imported from official source

Gatherings involve the collecting together of poultry or other captive birds. They include (but are not limited to):

  • some premises used for dealing or internet sales
  • vehicles used to transport live birds where the birds are brought together from multiple premises (known as ‘many-to-one’ or ‘many-to-many’ activities)
  • the bringing together of birds, or incubating eggs that are close to hatching, from more than one premises where they will return to the same or different premises

    • What activities do not count as gatherings

    The following activities are not classed as bird gatherings:

  • birds which are brought together from different locations onto one premises, but where no birds leave that premises until more than 14 days have passed since the last bird arrived on the premises
  • an activity where all of the birds have come from the same premises and then return to that same premises afterwards
  • a sale of birds which have all come from the same single premises (for example, a dispersal sale or ‘re-homing’) even if the birds go to multiple new locations

    • Anseriformes include ducks, geese and swans.

    Galliformes include turkeys, chickens, quail, partridges and pheasants.

    Psittaciformes include parrots, budgies, parakeets, macaws and cockatoos.

    Birds of prey include hawks, eagles, kites, ospreys, falcons and caracaras.

    Passeriformes include canaries and finches.

    Columbiformes include fancy pigeons, doves and racing pigeons.

    Ratites include ostriches, emus and rheas.

    You can hold a bird gathering of any of these birds (or a mix of these) if you:  

  • are not in a disease control zone (such as a protection zone or surveillance zone) – check what zone you’re in
  • notify APHA of the gathering at least 7 days before the event

    • If you’re racing pigeons from Northern Ireland and the EU to England, you also need to comply with the EU regulations for the export of captive birds.

    This is an extract. The publication continues at the source.

    Read the original at the source: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bird-gatherings-licences

    Officially imported this from Animal and Plant Health Agency’s own source and shows an extract. If you work there, claiming the profile and verifying the domain lets you choose to show the full text here.

    Provenance

    Organization
    Animal and Plant Health Agency — imported from official source
    Official source
    https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/animal-and-plant-health-agency.atom ATOM
    Imported
    September 25, 2026 14:00
    Versions
    1 recorded
    Identity
    https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bird-gatherings-licences#2026-09-25T13:32:36Z

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