LEAVE THEM WHERE THEY ARE! Generally, if the nest belongs to one of these three birds, you can remove or kill the birds, or you can remove the nest and eggs or young. Bird control is all about timing. We carefully decontaminate and disinfect the area ensuring it is free from bacteria. We will also repair your roof etc. In the case of birds such as the barn owl that are listed on Schedule 1 of the Act, it is an offence even to disturb the birds when at or near the nest. For most small birds, the time from egg laying to fledging takes about a month. Is It Okay to Remove Cowbird Eggs From Host Nests? It can be fascinating to watch the birds sitting on the nest, the eggs hatch and then the young grow up and fledge. NOTE: Nesting songbirds are protected by federal law, which prohibits moving their nests! Not only from the noise they make, but also due to the potential for diseases to spread throughout your home from the droppings they leave behind. Birds provide the background music to our lives, singing their songs in our neighborhood, occasionally waking us, sometimes lulling us to sleep as we take an afternoon nap under the shade of a tree. All birds, their nests and eggs are protected by law and it is thus an offence, with certain exceptions (see Exceptions), to: Intentionally kill, injure or take any wild bird. Please note this work can only be carried out before birds have laid their eggs or after their chicks have fledged or left the nest, as per the Wildlife Act 1976 as amended 2000. Once baby birds have fledged or left the nest, you are free to remove the nest. All wild bird species, their eggs and nests are protected by law. All birds, their nest and eggs are protected by the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981, and it is thus an offence to damage or destroy an active nest or prevent parent birds access to their nests. However, there are three pest birds (pigeon, English or house sparrow, and starling) that are not protected under federal law. in order to block future access for birds. Have you ever found a bird egg in the grass and wondered what bird it came from? Baby birds grow at a very rapid rate so they will only stay in the nest (and around your home) for a short period of time. In the United States, for example, it is illegal to remove or destroy any active nest from a native bird species, defined as a nest with eggs or brooding adults in it. How do I safely remove a bird’s nest? But, if you don’t act quickly, there might soon be a second brood in that nest. Most birds are protected species and tampering with or removing a nest or eggs could lead to hefty fines or other penalties. Consider the type of bird, whether there are eggs or young present and, if at all possible, if the work can be put off a few weeks until the birds have abandoned the nest. An active nest is defined as “a nest with eggs or brooding adults in it”. We carefully decontaminate and disinfect the area ensuring it is free from bacteria. After you are certain that the nest has been abandoned and the young have moved on then you can safely remove the nest. Summer would not be complete without their serenade. Generally, if the nest belongs to one of these three birds, you can remove or kill the birds, or you can remove the nest and eggs or young. Intentionally take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built. We will also repair your roof etc. Many times, even if you find an egg on the ground, all by itself, with no nest around, it may be a species of bird that uses a scrape nest (just a simple scrape in the dirt) and they will return to lay more eggs until they have a full clutch before they start incubating the eggs. in order to block future access for birds. How to Remove a Bird’s Nest. Birds, Nests, And Eggs, also, describes birds’ nests and eggs. However, there are three pest birds (pigeon, English or house sparrow, and starling) that are not protected under federal law. Wild birds: protection and licences ... their eggs and nests are protected by law. How many times have you been out with your children on a nature walk or in the backyard and found a bird nest in a bush or one that had blown out of a tree? The species is our best-known brood parasite—organisms (like some birds, insects, and fish) that rely on others to raise their young. Birds can be wonderful. Intentionally take or destroy the egg of any wild bird. This book can help solve those mysteries. In the United States it’s illegal to remove or destroy any active nest from any native bird species. Alternatively, you could let the birds build the nest and live with them until their babies have fledged. IMPORTANT: IF YOU FIND EGGS BY THEMSELVES OR IN A NEST DO NOT TOUCH THEM! Birds nesting in your roof can be a real pain.