General Licence 013

Licence No: GEN / WCA / 013 / 2024
Valid From: 1 January 2024
Expiry: 31 December 2024

Licence to permit the competitive showing of certain captive-bred live wild birds and allow the keeping of certain birds in show cages for training purposes.

This licence, granted under Section 16(1) (f), 16(5) and 16(5)(a) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended), by the Natural Resource Body for Wales otherwise known as Natural Resources Wales (NRW), being satisfied that as regards the purpose set out at paragraph 2 that there is no other satisfactory solution, permits authorised persons to carry out a range of activities against the birds of the species listed and hereby grants the following licence which applies only in Wales.

1. Subject to paragraph 3 below and the licence conditions, this licence is granted for the purposes of publicly exhibiting and competitively showing certain wild birds.

2. For the purposes set out in paragraph 2 above, and subject to the conditions below, this licence permits the exhibition and showing for competitive purposes of:

• captive-bred (as defined below) live wild birds, or
• captive-bred live birds, one of whose parents was a captive-bred live wild bird other than birds of the species listed on Part I of Schedule 3 of the Act.

3. Subject to the conditions below, this licence permits the training of birds for any public exhibition or competition and permits the keeping or confining of any bird in a show cage the dimensions of which do not satisfy the requirements of Section 8(1) of the above Act.

The works noted above are licensed for the period as stated above and are granted subject to compliance with the conditions as specified. Anything done otherwise than in accordance with the terms of the licence may constitute an offence.

Iwan G. Hughes, Team Leader Species Permitting
Signed for and on behalf of Natural Resources Wales.

Conditions

1. The bird must have been bred in captivity. A bird shall not be treated as bred in captivity unless its parents were lawfully in captivity when the egg from which it hatched was laid. Documentary evidence of captive breeding must accompany any bird competitively shown under this licence.

2. Any bird competitively shown under this licence except those listed at Appendix 1 must be ringed with a legible, individually numbered, metal close ring, which is a ring or band in a continuous circle (without any break, join or any signs of tampering since it was manufactured) and which cannot be removed from the bird when its leg is fully grown. For any bird shown under this licence which is listed in Schedule 4 to the Act, the close ring must comply with the Wildlife and Countryside (Registration, Ringing and Marking of Certain Captive Birds) (Wales) Regulations 2011 (SI 1653 (W. 188))

3. The owner of any bird to be competitively shown under this licence will, if requested by a Police Officer or a person authorised in writing by Natural Resources Wales, make the bird available for a sample of blood to be taken from the bird to be shown. The blood sample will be taken by a qualified veterinary surgeon. Such a sample may be used to establish the ancestry of the bird.

4. All relevant animal welfare legislation must be complied with at all times, including the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

5. No person convicted of an offence to which this paragraph applies may use this licence unless, in respect of that offence, either (1) they were dismissed with an admonition, or (2) they are a rehabilitated person for the purposes of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and their conviction is treated as spent. A person may also use this licence where, in respect of such an offence, a court has made an order discharging them absolutely. This paragraph applies to offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the Deer Act 1991, the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, the Hunting Act 2004, the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017, the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 and the Animal Welfare Act 2006 (all as amended).

6. Failure to act within the purpose of this licence as set out in paragraph 1 or failure to comply with the terms and conditions of the licence may mean that the licence cannot be relied upon and an offence could therefore be committed. The maximum penalty available for an offence under the Act is a level 5 fine (£5,000) and/or a six month custodial sentence.

Keeping of birds in Show Cages for Training Purposes

7. No bird shall be kept or confined in such a cage for longer than one hour in any period of 24 hours.

8. The minimum dimensions of the cage in which the bird is kept shall be:

9. This licence shall only apply to those species of birds whose showing for the purposes of any public exhibition or competition is not otherwise specifically prohibited by the Act.

Notes

1. Birds listed in Schedule 3 of Part I to the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 are permitted to be shown if ringed and bred in captivity.

2. A licence in similar terms has been issued by Natural England in respect of England and by the Scottish Executive in respect of Scotland.

3. This licence may be modified or revoked at any time.

Appendix 1. Birds not requiring rings