Hold a bird gathering in England
Source: gov.uk (2025-12-08)

What counts as a bird gathering, and how to notify the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) is in an avian influenza prevention zone (AIPZ). By law you must follow strict biosecurity and hygiene rules to prevent bird flu and stop it spreading (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bird-flu-avian-influenza-how-to-prevent-it-and-stop-it-spreading).

You may also be in a disease control zone or an area of the AIPZ where you must house your birds. Check what zone you’re in and follow the rules (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu-cases-and-disease-control-zones-in-england).

If you are not in a disease control zone (such as a protection zone or surveillance zone) you can:
- follow the conditions in the general licence to hold a gathering of psittaciformes, birds of prey and racing pigeons
- apply for a specific licence to hold a gathering of poultry and other captive birds (passeriformes, columbiformes and ratites)
Check what zone you’re in on the interactive map (https://defra.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=8cb1883eda5547c6b91b5d5e6aeba90d).

What counts as a bird gathering

Gatherings involve the collecting together of poultry or other captive birds. They include (but are not limited to):
- bird fairs
- markets
- shows
- sales
- exhibitions
- 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
How to hold a bird gathering in England

Psittaciformes, birds of prey and racing pigeons

Psittaciformes include parrots, budgies, parakeets, macaws and cockatoos. Birds of prey include hawks, eagles, kites, ospreys, falcons and caracaras.

You can hold a bird gathering of psittaciformes, birds of prey and racing pigeons if you:
- are not in a disease control zone (such as a protection zone or surveillance zone)
- follow the conditions in the general licence for gatherings of psittaciformes, birds of prey and racing pigeons (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bird-gatherings-general-licence)
- notify APHA of the gathering at least 7 days before the event
- do not have any other types of birds, chicks or hatching eggs (that are close to hatching) at your gathering
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 (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32020R0687&from=EN).

You cannot have any passeriform, columbiform (excluding racing pigeons), ratite, galliform or anseriform birds, chicks or hatching eggs at your bird gathering. You would need to apply for and be granted a specific licence for these types of birds.

Poultry and other captive birds (passeriformes, columbiformes and ratites)

You must apply for a specific licence to hold a gathering of poultry or other captive birds in England (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bird-gatherings-apply-for-a-specific-licence-for-ratites), which includes:
- galliformes – including turkeys, chickens, quail, partridges and pheasants
- anseriformes – including ducks, geese and swans
- passeriformes – including canaries and finches
- columbiformes – including fancy pigeons and doves but not racing pigeons
- ratites – including ostriches, emus and rheas
You can only apply if you are not in a bird flu disease control zone (such as a protection zone or surveillance zone).

APHA can only grant bird gathering licences if the gathering and the transport of birds to and from it would not significantly increase the risk of the spread of bird flu.

Check you can meet licence conditions

APHA will consider each application and any risks associated with the proposed gathering. Based on this, licences that are granted will include conditions to mitigate (reduce) the risks.

Before you apply, you should check you will be able to meet the template licence conditions (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bird-gatherings-apply-for-a-specific-licence-for-ratites/licence-conditions-hold-a-poultry-gathering) at your bird gathering.

For example, if your event needs less risk mitigation, your licence conditions could include:
- the presence of a named poultry expert at your gathering
- all birds or hatching eggs must originate from a premises in England
- birds or hatching eggs having not attended another event within the last 14 days
- handwashing facilities being available at the event
- following waste disposal requirements
- cleansing and disinfection of facilities
If your event needs more risk mitigation, your licence conditions could include additional measures such as:
- the presence of a veterinary surgeon on site who inspects all birds prior to entry to the gathering
- the gathering is not within 50m of livestock
- sales of birds or hatching eggs are not permitted at the event
- the birds or hatching eggs must return to the premises of origin
To increase the chances of being issued a specific licence, every effort should be made to minimise the risk associated with the event. For example, only including lower-risk species and limiting the number of birds or premises represented.

Notify APHA of a bird gathering

In England you must notify APHA at least 7 days before a bird gathering of psittaciformes, birds of prey and racing pigeons.

You do not need to notify APHA if you have been issued a specific licence for a bird gathering of galliformes, anseriformes, passeriformes, columbiformes (excluding racing pigeons) and ratites.

Telephone the Defra Rural Services Helpline on xx-xxxx-xxxx and choose the relevant options for APHA.

You’ll need to provide the following information:
- date (or range of dates) of the gathering
- location of gathering (full postal address and postcode, and county parish holding (CPH) number (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-for-a-county-parish-holding-cph-number) (if applicable))
- types and numbers of birds expected
- purpose of the gathering (for example, show, sale or racing)
- your name, address and contact phone number, and an email address and mobile number
APHA will notify the local authority about the gathering on your behalf.

Keep records for 3 months

You must keep records of bird gatherings for at least 3 months after each event, including:
- name, address and contact number of anyone moving birds to and from the gathering
- types and numbers of birds exhibited, raced, transported, bought or sold at the gathering
APHA or the local authority may ask you for this information. Consult the licence conditions for definitive requirements on taking and retaining records of bird gathering.

Follow the conditions of your licence

By law you must meet the conditions listed in your licence at the bird gathering.

You may be sent to prison or have to pay an unlimited fine if you do not follow the conditions of your licence at the bird gathering.

The Local Authorities Animal Health Function (LAAHF) work with APHA to check that bird gatherings meet their licence conditions. The LAAHF is normally part of the Trading Standards or Environmental Health Service of a local authority.

If a bird gathering is breaking the law, you can report this to your LAAHF. Use the postcode tool to find details of how to contact your LAAHF (https://www.gov.uk/find-local-trading-standards-office).

Risk of bird flu (avian influenza) at bird gatherings

The status of the bird gathering licences will be kept under regular review as part of the government’s work to monitor and manage the risks of notifiable avian disease.

Defra will make any decisions on granting, amending or withdrawing licences based on the most up to date information about the risk of bird flu transmission which is available to Defra, including the latest scientific and ornithological evidence and veterinary advice.

Defra could withdraw or amend a bird gatherings licence with immediate effect if the risk of notifiable avian disease increases.

You can find further information on the latest disease situation for avian influenza (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu), Newcastle disease (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/newcastle-disease) and paramyxovirus (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/paramyxovirus-infection) guidance.

If you suspect bird flu or any type of notifiable disease (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/notifiable-diseases-in-animals) in poultry or captive birds you must report it immediately by calling:
- xx-xxxx-xxxx in England
- xx-xxxx-xxxx in Wales
- your local local Field Services Office (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/animal-and-plant-health-agency/about/access-and-opening#scotland-field-service-offices) in Scotland
Bird flu is a notifiable disease in poultry and other captive birds. If you do not report it, you’re breaking the law.