Wild birds and the law

Wild birds and the law

The Isle of Man Wildlife Act 1990 (including 2004 amendments) is the primary legislation serving to protect the Island’s wildlife, including its wild birds.

The Act sets out schedules of species of animal and plant that are protected by Manx law from injury or disturbance. The Act also establishes the legal protection of Areas of Special Scientific Interest and National Nature Reserves.

General protection for birds

• All birds and their nests are protected (cannot be killed, injured or taken), bar a few Schedule 2 species that can be shot in the open season.

Once a wild bird has begun to build a nest, that nest is protected; it is an offence to take or destroy the nest, eggs or young of any wild bird.

Special protection for birds

• Special penalties are available for offences related to Schedule 1 species (listed below), for which there are additional offences of disturbing these birds and their dependent young at or near their nests.

Likely disturbance from works

• Where activities come into conflict with nesting birds, you must seek advice from DEFA's Ecosystem Policy Team.

You may need a section 16 licence before proceeding with destructive or disturbing works.

Reporting suspected offences or concerns

If you suspect a wildlife crime has been/is being committed (e.g. Schedule 1 species disturbance, unlicensed bird killing) or are concerned about an activity you have witnessed, please report this immediately to:

• The Wildlife Crime Unit - telephone 01624 812234; or
• Dr Richard G. Selman, Senior Biodiversity Officer (Zoologist), DEFA - telephone 01624 685835, fax 01624 685851 or email Richard.Selman@gov.im.

For offences that might affect wildlife, but are not directly wildlife offences - such as off-road driving away from permitted tracks - please report these to the police (see Wildlife Crime Unit above).

Schedule One Species on the Isle of Man

Avocet	Short Eared Owl	Gadwall	Purple Heron	Scaup
Spotted Crake	Snowy Owl	Hen Harrier	Little Owl	Shag
Rough Legged Buzzard	Storm Petrel	White Fronted Goose	Osprey	Manx Shearwater
Reed Bunting	White Tailed Eagle	Barnacle Goose	Lapwing	Shelduck
Honey Buzzard	Peregrine	Bean Goose	Nightjar	Shoveler
Crossbill	Spotted Flycatcher	Montagu's Harrier	Long Eared Owl	Skylark
Corncrake	Merlin	Little Grebe	Barn Owl	Jack Snipe
Corn Bunting	Golden Eagle	Canada Goose	Red Kite	House Sparrow
Common Crane	Gyr Falcon	Marsh Harrier	Tawny Owl	Tree Sparrow
Chough	Red-Footed Falcon	Goshawk	Ring Ouzel	Sparrowhawk
Buzzard	Little Egret	Greylag Goose	Sand Martin	Spoonbill
Bullfinch	Turtle dove	Brent Goose	Black Kite	Starling
Bittern	Dipper	Garganey	Kingfisher	Bewick's Swan
Curlew	Pintail	Little Ringed Plover	Black Redstart	Whooper Swan
Hobby	Tree Pipit	Ringed Plover	Common Redstart	Swift
Kestrel	Golden Plover	Common Quail	Common Sandpiper	Sandwich Tern
Little Tern	Common Tern	Black Tern	Bearded Tit	Grasshopper Warbler
Arctic Tern	White Winged Black Tern	Song Thrush	Twite	Water Rail
Whinchat	Yellowhammer	Roseate Tern

For more information about wild bird and wildlife law in the Isle of Man, go to IOM Government's DEFA website.