Bird gatherings: guidance
- Last updated
- 21 April 2021 - see all updates
- Directorate
- Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
- Topic
- Farming and rural
Guidance for organisers of bird gatherings in Scotland.
Definition of a bird gathering
Bird gatherings are occasions at which birds are brought together (from different locations) for any purpose, and afterwards disperse to more than one location. This includes fairs, markets, shows, sales or exhibitions, races or meetings (for example pigeons), and traders who gather birds from different sources to be sold online.
Birds that are gathered together from different sources (such as internet sales), but remain in one location for at least 13 days after the arrival of the last bird, would not be considered a gathering.
General licence compliance
The bird gathering general licence that came into force on 21 April 2021 has now been revoked and replaced by an updated general licence, which from 15 May 2021 permits all poultry and other captive bird gatherings, including pigeon gatherings organised for races from mainland Europe, provided organisers adhere to the conditions and requirements of the licence.
Full information, conditions and requirements are available on the published general licence.
Notifiable diseases
If you suspect that a bird might be suffering from avian influenza, or any other notifiable avian disease, you must contact your nearest Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) office immediately – failure to do this is an offence.
- First published
- 14 May 2021
- Last updated
- 21 April 2021 - show all updates
- All updates
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Bird gatherings information updated to reflect latest position.
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Updated to reference the declaration of a Avian Influenza Prevention Zone across Scotland from 5pm on 11 November 2020.
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Date of first publication.
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