Statutory guidance

GL45 (modified): licence to release common pheasants or red-legged partridges on specified special protection areas or within 500 metres of their boundary

Updated 7 June 2024

Applies to England

The Secretary of State^{[footnote 1]} has modified this licence under the powers in section 16(5)(d) of the 1981 Act^{[footnote 2]}. This licence was first issued on 22 March 2024.

You must not release (or allow to escape) into the wild common pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) or red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) on European sites^{[footnote 3]} or within 500 metres (m) of their boundary (known as the buffer zone), except under a licence.

This general licence permits an authorised person^{[footnote 4]} to release the specified density of common pheasants or red-legged partridges on a special protection area (SPA)^{[footnote 5]} listed in Annex 1 or its 500m buffer zone.

The offence in section 14 of the 1981 Act does not apply to any release activity if done under and in accordance with this licence.

For the purpose of this licence, the word ‘gamebirds’ is used to collectively refer to common pheasants and red-legged partridges.

Legal basis of this licence

The Secretary of State has issued this general licence under the powers in section 16(4) and 16(5) of the 1981 Act. The Secretary of State has also been advised by Natural England as to the circumstances in which, in their opinion, general licences should be granted.

The Secretary of State may modify or revoke this licence at any time.

When you can use this licence

This licence is valid in England from 7 June 2024 to 1 February 2025.   

Where you can use this licence

This licence allows releases of gamebirds on the SPAs listed in Annex 1 and their 500m buffer zones:

This licence does not allow releases on:

• any SPA not listed in Annex 1 or its 500m buffer zone
• any special area of conservation (SAC) or its 500m buffer zone, unless the land is also a SPA listed in this licence
• any SPA that is also a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) if SSSI consent has not been granted – read the section on information and advice specific to this licence for guidance
• any SSSI that is not a SAC or a SPA

Read the guidance on licences to release gamebirds to check the location of your release site and see which licence you can use.

If your planned release is also on a SAC or its 500m buffer zone, this licence (GL45) will supersede GL43. This means you must comply with the conditions of this licence (GL45) to release gamebirds.

Who can use this licence

You can only act under this licence if you are an authorised person. This includes the owner or occupier of the site on which the release of gamebirds will be carried out, or any person authorised by the owner or occupier of that site.

You do not need to apply or register to use this licence.

Who cannot use this licence

You, or anyone acting on your behalf, cannot act under this licence if you have been:

• notified in writing by Natural England or the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) that you are subject to a formal investigation or a sanction^{[footnote 6]} as a result of damage caused to a European site by releasing gamebirds
• notified by Natural England or Defra that you are subject to a formal investigation for failing to comply with any licence issued for gamebird release under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
• convicted on or after 1 January 2010 of a wildlife offence^{[footnote 7]} unless in respect of that offence, the person is a rehabilitated person for the purpose of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the conviction is spent, or a court has made an order discharging them absolutely

If you cannot use this general licence for these reasons, or because you are unable to comply with its conditions, you may still apply to Defra for an individual licence. You can contact [email protected] to check whether you can use this general licence or if you need to apply for an individual licence.

You must not use this licence if the Secretary of State has withdrawn your permission to use it. Read the section on enforcement and penalties for misuse of this licence.

Enforcement and penalties for misuse of this licence

Failure to comply with the conditions of this licence may:

• mean you commit a criminal offence under the 1981 Act – the penalty for this offence on summary conviction is imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to an unlimited fine, or to both
• result in your authorisation to use this licence being withdrawn – the Secretary of State will notify you in writing if your authorisation to use this licence is withdrawn and the Secretary of State may impose a similar sanction in relation to other wildlife management licences

Conditions of this licence

You must follow the conditions of this general licence.

Condition 1: releases within SPAs covered by this licence

For the release of gamebirds in any SPA listed in Annex 1, the following condition applies.

Common pheasants: release density

The density of common pheasants released within a SPA covered by this licence must be no more than 700 birds per hectare of release pen. The density must be lower if required by a SSSI consent. Any release, including single or trickle releases, must not exceed this limit.

Where any common pheasants are shot or killed, you must not release further birds where this would exceed the allowed limit.

Red-legged partridges: release density

The density of red-legged partridges released within a SPA covered by this licence must be no more than 700 birds per hectare of land they inhabit. The density must be lower if required by a SSSI consent. Any release, including single or trickle releases, must not exceed this limit.

Where any red-legged partridges are shot or killed, you must not release further birds where this would exceed the allowed limit.

You must site red-legged partridge release pens in cover crops^{[footnote 8]} on arable land or on improved grassland within a SPA covered by this licence. You must not site them in semi-natural or unimproved habitats^{[footnote 9]}.

Condition 2: releases within the 500m buffer zone of a SPA boundary covered by this licence

For the release of gamebirds in the 500m buffer zone of any SPA listed in Annex 1, the following condition applies.

Common pheasants: release density

The density of common pheasants released within the 500m buffer zone of a SPA covered by this licence must be no more than 1,000 birds per hectare of release pen. Any release, including single or trickle releases, must not exceed this limit.

Where any common pheasants are shot or killed, you must not release further birds where this would exceed the allowed limit.

Red-legged partridges: release density

The density of red-legged partridges released within the 500m buffer zone of a SPA covered by this licence must be no more than 1,000 birds per hectare of land they inhabit. Any release, including single or trickle releases, must not exceed this limit.

Where any red-legged partridges are shot or killed, you must not release further birds where this would exceed the allowed limit.

Activity in the buffer zone

Any activity in the buffer zone must not encourage the released birds to inhabit or occupy an adjacent European site. This includes where you place pens and feed birds.

Condition 3: report release activity

If you, as the authorised person, are releasing 50 or more gamebirds under this licence, you must provide the:

• total number and species of gamebirds released within the SPA
• total number and species of gamebirds released within the 500m buffer zone
• gamebird density (birds per hectare)
• location of each release site (8-figure grid reference)
• date of each release

Use the online reporting form to submit your information to Defra. If you cannot access this form, email your information to [email protected].

You must provide this data within one week of releasing gamebirds under this licence. If you are carrying out trickle releases, you must provide this data within one week of the final release.

See Defra’s privacy notice for how we use your data.

Condition 4: vet checks and mandatory testing

Before releasing gamebirds, you must arrange for an experienced poultry or gamebird vet to carry out the following inspection and sampling for signs of notifiable disease. This applies to single or trickle releases.

Inspecting gamebirds

Within the 24 hours before release, you must make sure the vet inspects all:

• gamebirds to be released
• other kept birds (such as poultry) held in the same release pen or release area.

You must only release gamebirds if the vet confirms there is no evidence of notifiable disease in any of the gamebirds you plan to release, or the other kept birds.   

You must get a written statement from the vet confirming this.

You must keep this statement and:

• produce it for inspection when requested by any wildlife inspector^{[footnote 10]}
• send a copy to [email protected] within one week of releasing gamebirds

Testing red-legged partridges

If red-legged partridges have not mixed with common pheasants or other indicator species for bird flu, you must make sure the vet takes samples to test for bird flu (highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)) within 48 hours of the intended release. Mixing means that the birds have had beak-to-beak contact. Indicator species for bird flu include chickens and turkeys.

You must make sure the vet samples at least 60 of the red-legged partridges you plan to release, or all of the red-legged partridges if you plan to release fewer than 60 red-legged partridges.

You must arrange for the vet to send the samples to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) National Reference Lab.

You must not release the red legged partridges until the vet receives the test results confirming negative results for HPAI.

You must keep the test results and:

• produce them for inspection when requested by any wildlife inspector
• send a copy to [email protected] within one week of releasing gamebirds

Condition 5: biosecurity measures

You or anyone acting on your behalf must adhere to the following biosecurity measures when releasing gamebirds under this licence.

Keeping footwear and clothing clean

If birds are in the release pen or release area, you must make sure footwear and clothing is clean when you enter. In this condition, ‘release area’ refers to the area you release red-legged partridges into if you do not use a release pen.

For footwear, you must either:

• use a disinfectant foot dip before you enter and when you step out of the release pen or release area – use a Defra-approved disinfectant at the dilution rate for the Diseases of Poultry Order
• use dedicated footwear inside the release pen or release area – leave your general footwear outside

Cleaning and disinfecting vehicles and equipment

You must clean and disinfect any vehicles that come onto the site for shooting business purposes and will enter a release pen or release area. You must do so:

• every time they enter the site where a shoot will take place
• weekly if they are kept on the site

You must also clean and disinfect equipment before use in a release pen or release area.

When disinfecting vehicles and equipment, you must use a Defra-approved disinfectant.

Maintaining feeding and watering stations

You must:

• have at least one feeding station per 60 released gamebirds, to reduce gamebird density per station
• remove any spilled feed daily, as this could attract wild birds
• only scatter feed when necessary and not within 50 metres of a water body regularly visited by wildfowl

You must also do one of the following:

• cover feeding and watering stations to avoid contamination from wild bird droppings
• clean feeding and watering stations daily to remove droppings and feathers
• move feeding and watering stations at least once a week to avoid the build-up of droppings and feathers

Checking for signs of bird flu

You or anyone acting on your behalf must check gamebirds on a daily basis for signs of bird flu.

You or anyone acting on your behalf must consider the welfare of the bird and humanely cull any gamebirds showing signs of bird flu where necessary.

Read guidance on bird flu rules if you keep gamebirds, in the ‘Advice on how to comply with the conditions of this licence’ section.

Read the ‘Code of Practice for the Welfare of Gamebirds Reared for Sporting Purposes’ under point 4 of ‘information and advice specific to this licence’.

Disposing of carcasses

You must collect common pheasant, red-legged partridge and other wild bird carcasses in and around your release pens, release areas and any areas gamebirds are encouraged into. You must dispose of bird carcasses safely. Read guidance on disposing of carcasses in the ‘Advice on how to comply with the conditions of this licence’ section.

Documenting biosecurity measures

You must document the frequency of checks and actions carried out to comply with these biosecurity measures. When reporting your release activity under condition 3, you must declare you have read and understood these biosecurity measures and explain how you will demonstrate compliance.

You must produce records of checks and actions carried out if requested by a wildlife inspector.

Condition 6: compliance and monitoring

You (or a person authorised by you) must allow a wildlife inspector and anyone accompanying them to:

• have reasonable access to the site for monitoring purposes
• be present during any activity under this licence, to assess compliance with its conditions

You can ask for the wildlife inspector’s identification before allowing this.

You (or a person authorised by you) must give all reasonable assistance to the wildlife inspector and anyone accompanying them.

Condition 7: SPA-specific conditions

If you release gamebirds on the SPA listed in this condition or within its 500m buffer zone, you must comply with the following additional condition.

Northumberland Marine

You must not release common pheasants or red-legged partridges before 7 September 2024. You must not keep common pheasants or red-legged partridges on the SPA or its 500m buffer zone before this date, with or without pens (including temporary pens).

Advice on how to comply with the conditions of this licence 

Advice on activity in the buffer zone

To comply with the activity in the buffer zone, you should: 

• release gamebirds as far from an adjacent European site boundary as possible
• where possible, release gamebirds into linear features, such as hedgerows, linear plantations or game-cover crops where this will encourage them away from the boundary of an adjacent European site
• provide a suitable habitat and where possible linear features near the release site
• position feed rides, feed hoppers and drinkers away from the site boundary to discourage gamebirds from this area
• position artificial shelters, dust baths and grit stations away from the site boundary to discourage gamebirds from this area
• disperse gamebirds that are grouping near the site boundary

Advice on vet checks and mandatory testing

You (the authorised person, or a person authorised by you) will need to arrange the vet visits at your own expense.

Defra recommends that the vet inspects all kept birds on your premises at the pre-release vet inspection.

Email [email protected] for guidance on getting samples tested.

Advice on biosecurity measures

Advice on cleaning footwear and clothing

If you have more than one release pen, you could have dedicated clothing or overalls for each pen.   

If you are using a foot dip, you should:

• first use a brush to remove any soil or organic matter, paying particular attention to the soles and tread
• make sure it is at least ankle deep and under cover, so it’s not diluted by rain or exposed to UV light

After cleaning and disinfecting footwear, you should step straight into the release pen or release area.

Do not walk on ground outside the release pen or release area in your disinfected or dedicated footwear before entering or after exiting.  

Advice on maintaining feeding and watering stations

The minimum requirement under this licence is one feeding station per 60 released gamebirds, or more stations if considered necessary.  

You should avoid scatter feeding, but if necessary, you should only scatter enough food for that feed to avoid attracting other wild birds and rodents. 

Advice on checking for signs of bird flu

Avian Influenza (bird flu) is a notifiable disease in poultry and other captive birds. You must follow the bird flu rules if you keep gamebirds.

Advice on disposing of carcasses

You should report any dead game birds, ducks, geese, gulls or birds of prey to Defra as soon as possible.

You should keep written records of dead birds suspected to have bird flu, including culled gamebirds. 

You should check daily, and remove common pheasant, red-legged partridge and wild bird carcasses as quickly as possible to prevent contamination to the environment, gamebirds or other wild birds.

Carcasses may be more visible in areas with less vegetation. However, you should also actively check areas with dense vegetation where carcasses could be more difficult to find.

Follow the steps for removing and disposing of dead birds.

Advice on documenting biosecurity measures

Email [email protected] for best practice advice on recording checks.

Information and advice specific to this licence

1. This licence does not provide consent under section 28E of the 1981 Act for those operations requiring Natural England’s consent as listed on a notification of a SSSI.

2. Before you can release or permit the release of gamebirds in a SSSI that is also a European site, you need to know if Natural England needs to give SSSI consent. The owner or occupier of the land will need to check if SSSI consent is needed.

You only need Natural England’s SSSI consent if the release or related activities:

• take place in a SSSI that is also a European site
• are listed on the SSSI notification as operations requiring Natural England’s consent (ORNEC list)

You need to have Natural England’s consent, where this is necessary, before releasing or permitting the release of gamebirds within the SSSI.

You need to follow the terms and conditions of that consent.

This also applies to related activities that are listed as requiring Natural England’s consent, such as:

• erecting and maintaining release pens
• providing supplementary feeding
• driving vehicles on the site

When you report release activity, you need to provide the details of the SSSI consent under which the release activity is operating.

Use MAGIC maps to check if your proposed activity under this licence is within a SSSI that is also designated as a European Site.

Use the Designated Sites View database to find out if your proposed activity under this licence is listed as an ‘operation requiring Natural England’s consent’.

See guidance on how to apply for consent.

3. You must follow the registration rules for poultry and other captive birds.

4. You should read this licence alongside the Code of Practice for the Welfare of Gamebirds Reared for Sporting Purposes and the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

5. You must not release any gamebirds within a bird flu disease control zone.

If your release pen or area is within a zone, you must follow the rules for bird flu disease control zones.

Check if your release is in a bird flu disease control zone.

6. Nutrient run-off from release pens and feeding stations could affect the water quality of nearby European sites. To avoid this, you should place pens and feeding stations:

• on level ground
• at least 50m away from a watercourse flowing towards a European site designated for its river, wetland or intertidal habitat.

On sloping ground, you should follow the farming rules to protect watercourses, that recommend placing pens and feeding stations on slopes of less than a 12-degree angle.

7. If gamebirds you have released under this licence remain in the wild, Defra requests you catch them up on or before 1 February 2025. This helps to make sure they cannot pass bird flu to SPA bird species once the shooting season has closed.

8. This licence specifies a maximum density of gamebirds that you can release. You should also consider the total number of gamebirds you will release. This should not be excessive compared to the number of birds expected to be shot throughout the shooting season. This will help you make sure that as few birds as possible remain in the wild at the end of the shooting season.

9. If you, as the authorised person, are releasing 50 or more gamebirds under this licence, Defra requests you report the:

• total number and species of gamebirds shot
• total number and species of gamebirds trapped and culled due to suspicion of bird flu
• total number and species of gamebird and wild bird carcasses found and disposed of – this does not include healthy birds that have been shot
• total number of birds ‘caught up’ at the end of the season.

This will help improve Defra’s understanding of the sector.

Send this data by email to [email protected] by 15 February 2025. Include your full name and the SPA and or buffer zone onto which the birds were released.

10. The Secretary of State will not modify or revoke this licence unless there are good reasons.

Defra will notify relevant organisations if this licence is modified or revoked.

If it is revoked, you must immediately cease any activity under this licence. You can only restart activity when Defra confirms in writing that the Secretary of State has reissued the licence.

Annex 1: SPAs covered by this licence

This licence covers releases on the following SPAs and their 500m buffer zones:

1. Abberton Reservoir
2. Alde-Ore Estuary
3. Arun Valley
4. Ashdown Forest
5. Avon Valley
6. Benacre to Easton Bavents
7. Benfleet and Southend Marshes
8. Blackwater Estuary (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 4)
9. Bowland Fells
10. Breckland
11. Breydon Water
12. Broadland
13. Chesil Beach and The Fleet
14. Chew Valley Lake
15. Chichester and Langstone Harbours
16. Colne Estuary (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 2)
17. Coquet Island
18. Crouch and Roach Estuaries (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 3)
19. Deben Estuary
20. Dengie (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 1)
21. Dorset Heathlands
22. Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay
23. East Devon Heaths
24. Exe Estuary
25. Falmouth Bay to St Austell Bay
26. Farne Islands
27. Flamborough and Filey Coast
28. Foulness (Mid-Essex Coast Phase 5)
29. Gibraltar Point
30. Great Yarmouth North Denes
31. Greater Wash
32. Hamford Water
33. Holburn Lake and Moss
34. Hornsea Mere
35. Humber Estuary
36. Isles of Scilly
37. Lee Valley
38. Leighton Moss
39. Liverpool Bay (Bae Lerpwl)
40. Lower Derwent Valley
41. Marazion Marsh
42. Martin Mere
43. Medway Estuary and Marshes
44. Mersey Estuary
45. Mersey Narrows and North Wirral Foreshore
46. Minsmere-Walberswick
47. Morecambe Bay and Duddon Estuary
48. Nene Washes
49. New Forest
50. North Norfolk Coast
51. North Pennine Moors
52. North York Moors
53. Northumberland Marine (but see condition 7)
54. Ouse Washes
55. Outer Thames Estuary
56. Pagham Harbour
57. Peak District Moors (South Pennine Moors Phase 1)
58. Poole Harbour
59. Porton Down
60. Portsmouth Harbour
61. Ribble and Alt Estuaries
62. Rutland Water
63. Salisbury Plain
64. Sandlings
65. Severn Estuary
66. Solent and Dorset Coast
67. Solent and Southampton Water
68. Solway Firth
69. Somerset Levels and Moors
70. South Pennine Moors Phase 2
71. South West London Waterbodies
72. Stodmarsh
73. Stour and Orwell Estuaries
74. Tamar Estuaries Complex
75. Thames Basin Heaths
76. Thames Estuary and Marshes
77. Thanet Coast and Sandwich Bay
78. The Dee Estuary
79. The Swale
80. The Wash
81. Thorne and Hatfield Moors
82. Thursley, Hankley and Frensham Commons (Wealden Heaths Phase 1)
83. Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits
84. Walmore Common
85. Wealden Heaths Phase 2

Definitions used in this licence and references to legislation

Listed in order of reference.

Unless expressly stated in this licence to the contrary, references to legislation are references to that legislation as it had effect on 7 June 2024.

1. Secretary of State’ means the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. ↩

2. 1981 Act’ means the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). ↩

3. ‘European site’ has the meaning given in regulation 8 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 (as amended) and includes special protection areas (SPAs) and special areas of conservation (SACs). See the register of European sites. ↩

4. ‘Authorised person’ is defined in section 27(1) of the 1981 Act. It includes the owner or occupier of the land on which action authorised by this licence is to be taken, or any person authorised by the owner or occupier. ↩

5. ‘Special protection area’ (SPA) has the meaning given in regulation 15(1) of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017‘ ↩

6. ‘Sanction’ includes a civil or criminal penalty that is imposed by law or a warning letter issued either by Natural England or Defra or a court. Examples of a sanction in the context of this licence, includes a stop, restoration, compliance, remediation or prevention notice issued by Natural England by virtue of the powers conferred on it under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006. ↩

7. ‘Wildlife offence’ means an offence under the following legislation: Part 1 of the 1981 Act, Part 3 of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017, the Protection of Badgers Act 1992, the Deer Act 1991, the Hunting Act 2004, the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996, the Pests Act 1954, the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the Protection of Animals Act 1911. ↩

8. ‘Cover crops’ means a block or strip of cereal, brassica or other seed-bearing crops that has been established to provide cover, shelter or food for released gamebirds. ↩

9. ‘Unimproved habitats’ means areas of land characterised by native plant and animal species that have never been intensively farmed or been subject to modern agricultural cultivation. ↩

10. ‘Wildlife inspector’ is defined in section 18A of the 1981 Act. It means a person authorised in writing by the Secretary of State. ↩