New Wild Bird General Licences as of 1 January 2026

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On the 1^st January 2026 there will be a new set of Wild Bird General Licenses (GL40, GL41, GL42) issued by Natural England, who have recently taken back control of these from Defra.

Working with the NGO, Natural England have said that the changes to the current licences will be small, with the main points being:

• The licences will be valid for 12 months rather than 2 years. 
• There will be a note added to GL33 stating that decoy birds must be registered on the poultry register.
• There will be small changes to the safe working distances on European Sites.
• Red Grouse, despite being currently green listed, will be protected under GL40. This is because there is a real concern that they could drop back to amber listed if pest avian species are not controlled. NE also recognise the spin-off benefits to other moorland species.
•  There will be a new condition added which aims to reduce the risk of AI by not displacing bird assemblages beyond their home range.

Follow the link below to read Natural England's full bulletin on the changes. 

NE Bulletin - Wild bird General Licences in 2026 - Nov 2025.pdf

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation: The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation (NGO) represents the gamekeepers of England and Wales. The NGO defends and promotes gamekeeping and gamekeepers and works to ensure high standards throughout the profession. The National Gamekeepers’ Organisation was founded in 1997 by a group of gamekeepers who felt that keepering was threatened by public misunderstanding and poor representation. Today, there are 13,000 members of the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation.  www.nationalgamekeepers.org.uk