If you have a bird's nest in your loft please do not touch it until the birds have flown.
All birds, their nests and eggs are protected by law under the Wildlife & Countryside Act of 1981. This makes it an offence, with certain exceptions, to deliberately take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built. It is also illegal to take or destroy the egg of any wild bird.
If birds are causing you a problem
Dealing with birds does not fall under our pest control service and it is usually seen as a resident's responsibility. If you are having any problems with birds including seagulls and pigeons, you will need a private pest control company to help you. You can look up local contact details by searching online.
If there is a dead bird in or near your home and if it is safe and possible to do so, remove the dead bird and dispose of it in your black lidded bin.
If the dead bird is located in a hard to reach location such as in guttering, on a high roof or down a chimney, you can request its removal through our repairs team.
- email: housing.repairs@dover.gov.uk (opens in new tab)
- phone: 01304 801110
Legislation on dealing with seagulls
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 protects all wild birds. It is generally illegal to capture, injure or kill a wild bird, or to interfere with its nest or eggs, and penalties can be severe.
The law does recognise that particular species of common bird, such as herring gulls and lesser black-backed gulls, can cause nuisance. The law allows measures to be taken against such birds in limited circumstances.
Action is permitted under general licences solely for reasons such as protecting public health or safety, preventing the spread of disease, or preventing serious damage to livestock, crops or food stores. Action taken without meeting these conditions is an offence.
Only the owner or occupier can take action against gulls nesting on their buildings. Specialist companies can protect your building from gulls by installing wires or spikes on chimney pots and other rooftop features.
To dissuade pigeons from roosting and for other helpful advice you can visit the Pigeon Control Resource Centre website www.pigeoncontrolresourcecentre.org (opens in new tab) .
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