Cross Compliance: Guide to Cross Compliance in England 2015 (GCCE 2015 v1)
Appendix for Wild birds (SMR 2)
Applicable from 01/01/2012
Birds which you must not intentionally or recklessly disturb while nesting
(The table below applies to Great Britain.)
| At all times |
| Common name |
Scientific name |
| Avocet |
Recurvirostra avosetta |
| Bee-eater |
Merops apiaster |
| Bittern |
Botaurus stellaris |
| Bittern, Little |
Ixobrychus minutus |
| Bluethroat |
Luscinia svecica |
| Brambling |
Fringilla montifringilla |
| Bunting, Cirl |
Emberiza cirlus |
| Bunting, Lapland |
Calcarius lapponicus |
| Bunting, Snow |
Plectrophenax nivalis |
| Buzzard, Honey |
Pernis apivorus |
| Capercaillie |
Tetrao urogallus |
| Chough |
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax |
| Corncrake |
Crex crex |
| Crake, Spotted |
Porzana porzana |
| Crossbills (all species) |
Loxia |
| Curlew, Stone |
Burhinus oedicnemus |
| Divers (all species) |
Gavia |
| Dotterel |
Charadrius morinellus |
| Duck, Long-tailed |
Clangula hyemalis |
| Eagle, Golden |
Aquila chrysaetos |
| Eagle, White-tailed |
Haliaetus albicilla |
| Falcon, Gyr |
Falco rusticolus |
| Fieldfare |
Turdus pilaris |
| Firecrest |
Regulus ignicapillus |
| Garganey |
Anas querquedula |
| Godwit, Black-tailed |
Limosa limosa |
| Goshawk |
Accipiter gentilis |
| Grebe, Black-necked |
Podiceps nigricollis |
| Grebe, Slavonian |
Podiceps auritus |
| Greenshank |
Tringa nebularia |
| Gull, Little |
Larus minutus |
| Gull, Mediterranean |
Larus melanocephalus |
| Harriers (all species) |
Circus |
| Heron, Purple |
Ardea purpurea |
| Hobby |
Falco subbuteo |
| Hoopoe |
Upupa epops |
| Kingfisher |
Alcedo atthis |
| Kite, Red |
Milvus milvus |
| Merlin |
Falco columbarius |
| Oriole, Golden |
Oriolus oriolus |
| Osprey |
Pandion haliaetus |
| Owl, Barn |
Tyto alba |
| Owl, Snowy |
Nyctea scandiaca |
| Peregrine |
Falco peregrinus |
| Petrel, Leach’s |
Oceanodroma leucorhoa |
| Phalarope, Red-necked |
Phalaropus lobatus |
| Plover, Kentish |
Charadrius alexandrinus |
| Plover, Little Ringed |
Charadrius dubius |
| Quail, Common |
Coturnix coturnix |
| Redstart, Black |
Phoenicurus ochruros |
| Redwing |
Turdus iliacus |
| Rosefinch, Scarlet |
Carpodacus erythrinus |
| Ruff |
Philomachus pugnax |
| Sandpiper, Green |
Tringa ochropus |
| Sandpiper, Purple |
Calidris maritima |
| Sandpiper, Wood |
Tringa glareola |
| Scaup |
Aythya marila |
| Scoter, Common |
Melanitta nigra |
| Scoter, Velvet |
Melanitta fusca |
| Serin |
Serinus serinus |
| Shorelark |
Eremophila alpestris |
| Shrike, Red-backed |
Lanius collurio |
| Spoonbill |
Platalea leucorodia |
| Stilt, Black-winged |
Himantopus himantopus |
| Stint, Temminck’s |
Calidris temminckii |
| Swan, Bewick’s |
Cygnus bewickii |
| Swan, Whooper |
Cygnus cygnus |
| Tern, Black |
Chlidonias niger |
| Tern, Little |
Sterna albifrons |
| Tern, Roseate |
Sterna dougallii |
| Tit, Bearded |
Panurus biarmicus |
| Tit, Crested |
Parus cristatus |
| Treecreeper, Short-toed |
Certhia brachydactyla |
| Warbler, Cetti’s |
Cettia cetti |
| Warbler, Dartford |
Sylvia undata |
| Warbler, Marsh |
Acrocephalus palustris |
| Warbler, Savi’s |
Locustella luscinioides |
| Whimbrel |
Numenius phaeopus |
| Woodlark |
Lullula arborea |
| Wryneck |
Jynx torquilla |
| During the close season |
| Goldeneye |
Bucephala clangula |
| Goose, Greylag (in Outer Hebrides, Caithness, Sutherland and Wester Ross only) |
Anser anser |
| Pintail |
Anas acuta |
|
NB. The common name(s) given in the first column are included by way of guidance only; in the event of any
dispute or proceedings, the common name(s) shall not be taken into account.
|
Huntable birds and their close season
| Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 |
| Common name |
Scientific name |
Close season (Dates inclusive – cannot be shot on the dates shown) |
| Capercaille (Scotland only) |
Tetrao urogallus |
1 Feb – 30 Sep |
| Coot |
Fulica atra |
1 Feb – 31 Aug |
| Tufted duck |
Aythya fuligula |
1 Feb – 31 Aug* |
| Gadwall |
Anas strepera |
1 Feb – 31 Aug* |
| Goldeneye |
Bucephala clangula |
1 Feb – 31 Aug* |
| Canada goose |
Branta canadensis |
1 Feb – 31 Aug* |
| Greylag goose |
Anser anser |
1 Feb – 31 Aug* |
| Pink-footed goose |
Anser brachyrhynchus |
1 Feb – 31 Aug* |
| White-fronted goose |
Anser albifrons |
1 Feb – 31 Aug* |
| Mallard |
Anas platyrhynchos |
1 Feb – 31 Aug* |
| Moorhen |
Gallinula chloropus |
1 Feb – 31 Aug |
| Pintail |
Anas acuta |
1 Feb – 31 Aug* |
| Golden plover |
Pluvialis apricaria |
1 Feb – 31 Aug |
| Pochard |
Aythya ferina |
1 Feb – 31 Aug* |
| Shoveler |
Anas clypeata |
1 Feb – 31 Aug* |
| Common snipe |
Gallinago gallinago |
1 Feb – 11 Aug |
| Teal |
Anas crecca |
1 Feb – 31 Aug* |
| Wigeon |
Anas penelope |
1 Feb – 31 Aug* |
| Woodcock |
Scolopax rusticola |
1 Feb – 30 Sep |
 |
|
* The close season for wild duck and geese in any area below high water mark is 21 Feb -31 Aug dates inclusive. |
| Under section 2(3) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, shooting of the birds listed in the table above is not permitted on Sundays in Cornwall, Devon, Isle of Ely, Norfolk, Somerset, York North Riding, York West Riding, Doncaster, Great Yarmouth and Leeds. |
| Game Act 1831 |
| Game may not be killed or taken on a Sunday or Christmas Day. Additionally, close seasons apply for the following birds. |
| Common name |
Scientific name |
Close Season (Dates Exclusive – can be shot dates shown) |
| Grouse/red grouse |
Lagopus lagopus scoticus |
10 Dec – 12 Aug |
| Black game/black grouse |
Tetrao urogallus |
10 Dec – 20 Aug
(Somerset, Devon and New Forest)
10 Dec – 1 Sept |
| Pheasant (including common pheasant, golden pheasant, Lady Amherst’s pheasant, Reeves' pheasant and silver pheasant) |
Phasianus colchicus, Chrysolophus pictus, Chrysolophus amherstiae, Syrmaticus reevesii, Lophura nycthemera |
1 Feb – 1 Oct |
| Partridge (grey partridge, red-legged partridge) |
Perdix perdix, Alectoris rufa |
1 Feb – 1 Sept |
| While a close seas on is established for Bustards under the Game Act 1831, this species is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, with the result that it may not be killed or taken at any time. |
| NB. The common name(s) given in the first column are included by way of guidance only; in the event of any dispute or proceedings, the common name(s) shall not be taken into account. |