Revised General Licence for Bird Gatherings

Following an updated risk assessment, a revised General Licence for Bird Gatherings is available for use across Great Britain.

In England

Please see the guidance available on GOV.UK about changes to the general licences in England:

These changes are:

• The definition of “bird expert” now provides more detail on the expertise and knowledge required for this role, and some examples of people who may have suitable experience to do this.
• ‘bird expert’ means a named person(s) appointed by the licensee who has demonstrable knowledge and practical experience with the species of bird(s) attending the gathering – their knowledge and experience must be sufficient to recognise signs of ill health, including notifiable avian disease and unusual behaviour.
• ‘Bird experts’ include people with substantial experience in the handling, assessment or judging of the relevant species. For example, a show judge, a bird auctioneer, an animal welfare officer. They can also include an experienced bird keeper, who is an active member of an established bird organisation with independent membership, and has a verifiable track record of bird keeping related activity.
• Clarification of wording for conditions 9, 10 and 12.
• Wording has also been clarified for condition 17, alongside publication of updated guidance and an optional template to assist organisers to make contingency plans.

In Scotland

The general licence is available on GOV.SCOT here.

In Scotland, there is a new requirement for the licensee to retain the contact details of any person who has given them the right to use the premises for the purpose of the gathering (to the extent known to the licensee) in case this information may be required by APHA in the context of suspicion of a notifiable avian disease.

In Wales

The general licence is available on GOV.WALES here.

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04/06/26: Avian Influenza Protection Zone lifted

The Avian Influenza Prevention Zone in England, Scotland and Wales was lifted on 4 June 2026.

Strict biosecurity is still vital to protect the health and welfare of your birds. Please continue to follow the biosecurity and hygiene guidance available here.

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17/04/26: Mandatory housing measures lifted

Mandatory housing measures for poultry and captive birds have now been lifted in England and Wales. This means that poultry and other captive birds no longer need to be housed and can now be kept outside. The Avian Influenza Prevention Zone mandatory biosecurity measures remain in place until the wild bird risk falls further, so please make sure you follow the enhanced mandatory biosecurity guidance.

Interactive Map

Keepers can check if they are in a bird flu disease control zone using the Animal and Plant Health Agency’s (APHA) interactive map. Further information on the measures that apply in the zones can be found in Defra’s Bird flu: rules in disease control zones in England guidance and the zone declaration available via the notifiable disease case finder. Disease control zones will remain in place until all disease control and surveillance activities in the zones have been successfully completed and there are no suspect cases are under investigation in the zones.

Keepers must keep a close watch on their birds and kept mammals (including pets) for any signs of disease, and seek prompt advice from a vet if they have any concerns. You can find further information on how to spot and report bird flu in poultry and other captive birds and how to keep other pets, such as cats and dogs, safe from bird flu.

Clinical signs indicative of infection with an avian influenza virus must be reported in England to Defra Rural Services Helpline on 03000 200 301. In Wales, contact 0300 303 8268. In Scotland, contact to the local Field Services Office. Failure to do so is an offence.

All bird keepers must register their poultry and other captive birds (with the exception of certain psittacines and passerines), even if only kept as pets. Registered keepers will receive regular updates and guidance to help protect their birds from avian influenza. In addition, anyone can subscribe to APHA’s free animal disease alerts service for the latest information on updated risk levels, guidance and new cases in Great Britain regardless of whether they keep birds.

In Great Britain members of the public are encouraged to report findings of dead wild birds using the online reporting system or by calling the Defra helpline (03459 33 55 77). By reporting dead wild birds, you are helping Defra and APHA understand, the risk to different species groups of wild birds, the risk posed to poultry & other captive birds and the risk of overspill into mammals.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said that avian influenza is primarily a disease of birds and the risk to the general public’s health is very low. Do not touch any dead or sick wild birds you find. The Food Standards Agency advises that avian influenzas pose a very low food safety risk for UK consumers. Properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.

The latest information and guidance on bird flu can be found at gov.uk/birdflu 

[Individual case updates before this date have been removed to keep the length of this article down]