Birds

Avian Influenza (bird flu)

You can access information about the latest situation in England on the government’s website.  

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said that the avian influenza is primarily a disease of birds and the risk to the general public's health is very low.  

The Food Standards Agency has said that based on the current scientific evidence, avian influenza poses a low food safety risk for UK consumers.  

Well-cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs are safe to eat. 

Reporting dead wild birds

Do not touch or pick up any dead or visibly sick birds that you find. You should report it to Defra online or call the Defra helpline (03459 33 55 77) if you find: 

  • one or more dead bird of prey, gull, swan, goose or duck in the same place  
  • 5 or more dead wild birds of any species in the same place  

Defra will then collect some of these birds and test them. Calls to the Defra helpline about birds are triaged and not all birds will be collected.

Wild birds are susceptible to a range of diseases and injuries and not all dead birds will have been infected with avian influenza.

If the bird(s) is/are on private land and Defra do not need to collect for testing, then double bag and place in your regular waste bin.

If the bird is on public land, complete a report a dead animal form or contact Customer Services. 

What to do if you keep birds

All bird keepers, even if you have pet birds, commercial flocks or just a few birds in a garden flock, must keep a close watch on them for signs of disease.  

If you have concerns about the health of your birds, promptly seek advice from your vet.

Further guidance of Bird Flu (avian influenza) is on GOV.UK

Poultry and other captive birds in England and Wales can be let outside unless you are in a 3km protection or captive bird (monitoring) controlled zone.

You should always register your poultry on the government website, even if you are keeping them as pets, this is so you can be contacted during an outbreak. This includes

  • chickens  
  • ducks  
  • turkeys  
  • geese  
  • pigeons (bred for meat)  
  • partridge  
  • quail  
  • guinea fowl  
  • pheasants  

This is a legal requirement if you have 50 or more birds.

You can sign up to GOV's alert service to be kept up to date with the latest news. You can also get Defra email alerts.