How to report crimes against wild birds

• Crimes or potential crimes against birds of prey, owls or Ravens in the wild, particularly suspected shooting, trapping, poisoning or nest destruction incidents.  

• Suspected poisoning incidents where wild birds are victims or vulnerable (e.g. a poisoned bait placed in the countryside).  

• Active taking of wild bird eggs.

• Taking and/or trading of wild birds of prey and their chicks

• Suspected crimes against Schedule 1 bird species.
  (See schedule 1 birds).

If you have sensitive information specifically relating to the illegal targeting of birds of prey, as an alternative to completing our online report form you can call our confidential ‘Raptor Crime Hotline’ on 0300 999 0101.

While we read every report sent to us, we receive high levels of correspondence and can only respond to those which relate to one of our above priorities.  

Please note: The RSPB Investigations team do not have enforcement powers. The RSPB is also not a welfare organisation and therefore, we do not have the expertise or facilities to help with the welfare of individual wild animals or pets. We do not have access to any non-public databases of wildlife or pet rescues.  

If in doubt about what to report to RSPB Investigations, please call RSPB Wildlife Enquiries on 01767 693690 or email wildlife@rspb.org.uk.  

If the incident does not relate to one of our priorities as specified above, you may need to contact the police or an alternative organisation, depending on the nature of the incident.  

With lots of different organisations out there it can be confusing to know who to contact. 

Cruelty, neglect and welfare - If you believe a domestic or wild bird is being cruelly treated or is suffering, please contact the appropriate organisation listed below:  

England and Wales: RSPCA. Tel: 0300 1234 999; www.rspca.org.uk  
Scotland: SSPCA. Tel: 03000 999 999; www.scottishspca.org   
Northern Ireland: USPCA. Tel: 02830 251000; www.uspca.co.uk  

Birds being shot or killed – There are some circumstances in which this may be lawful, such as open seasons for wildfowl or control of species under a licence (see below), but if in any doubt, please contact the police. If the incident involves wild birds of prey, owls, and/or Ravens, please also report it to RSPB Investigations. 

Hedge or tree cutting - Active wild bird nests are legally protected, making it an offence to intentionally damage or destroy them. As the main bird breeding season runs from 1 March to 31 August there is an increased risk of committing an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act when cutting hedges, trees, and other vegetation during this period. Habitats themselves often have limited legal protection unless covered by the Hedgerow Regulations 1997, a Tree Preservation Order (TPO), or other site-specific protections. In England, farmland hedgerows are further protected under the Management of Hedgerows (England) Regulations 2024. You can learn more about this here. Before carrying out any clearance work, it is advisable to carefully check for signs of breeding activity over a period of days, such as birds carrying nesting material or food. Continuing work after becoming aware of active nests is an offence. If you know or strongly suspect that active nests are present in hedges or trees being cut or removed, please contact to the police on 101.

Birds nesting in a roof or eaves – If you find an active birds’ nest in your home, it is illegal to remove it. You must allow the chicks to leave the nest before taking any action to remove a nest or block an entrance to it. If you wish to report offences against birds nesting in a roof or eaves, please contact the police on 101. Please see here for information on what to do if birds are nesting in your roof or eaves.   

Gulls – Gulls are protected by law, so if they have already started to nest on a roof then it is illegal to damage, destroy or remove the nest and eggs without a licence. If you wish to report offences against gulls, please contact the police on 101. Please see here for further information regarding gulls nesting on roofs.  

Disturbance - It is an offence to intentionally or recklessly disturb any wild bird listed on Schedule 1 while it is nest building, or at a nest containing eggs or young, or disturb the dependent young of such a bird. You can find the list of Schedule 1 birds here. Birds that are not listed under Schedule 1 are not protected against disturbance. You can find out about the protections that apply to them here.   

Other – If the incident doesn’t fall within one of the above categories, you can contact RSPB Wildlife Enquiries on 01767 693690, or email wildlife@rspb.org.uk.