With nesting season underway, we look at how to help birds nest and raise their chicks successfully.
Come March and something very special is happening in our hedgerows. In parks and gardens across the UK, birds are preparing to welcome in the next generation by building nests. March to September marks the main nesting season and it’s crucial that we are careful not to disturb birds during this time.
Many small garden birds, such as Robins and Wrens, choose to nest within a few metres off the ground where hedges can offer a good coverage of greenery and leaves. You may well see birds darting to and from the hedgerow, taking in nesting material such as moss and small twigs. And it’s not just hedges.
Birds also build nests in the trees, shrubs and climbers in our gardens. This vegetation is a lifeline for the birds: it provides a foundation on which their nests will rest, protects their eggs and chicks from wind, rain and sun, and helps hide them from predators.
The best way to help your garden birds is to not cut your hedges between March and September as this is when the possibility of birds nesting is very high.
So, we recommend only cutting between 1 September and 28 February. And during that time, we also recommend you still check for nesting birds, as some may start early in January or February or breed late into September.
Legally, however, you can cut vegetation year-round, as long as no active nests are moved or damaged. If you plan to do this, please follow these three steps.
Firstly, watch the area for a few days to make sure you do not see any nesting activity in the vegetation. When birds are nesting, they are constantly popping to and from the nesting site. This is because at all stages of nesting they need to keep returning. The regular return of birds is your main indicator that birds are nesting. If the birds leave first thing in the morning and don’t return until night, then they’re probably just using the area to sleep (roost) in.
Before beginning any cutting, thoroughly check the hedge, tree or other vegetation to make sure you can’t see any active nests.
Use manual cutting tools instead of electric ones, as they are easier to control and stop should you come across any wildlife.
If you see someone cutting their vegetation, and they’ve damaged or destroyed active nests in the process, this is definitely not allowed.
In England, Scotland and Wales, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981), wild birds’ nests are protected from intentional damage, destruction or removal when they are in use or being built. This means if someone knows they’ve got a pair of Wrens nesting in their ivy, and they cut it anyway and damage the nest, then they would be breaking the law.
In Northern Ireland, the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 means all birds have protection when nesting. So, if someone cuts a hedge or tree during the bird nesting season and kills or injures a bird or disrupts its nesting, they may have committed an offence.
We always recommend that if you think an offence has taken place, then call the police via the non-emergency 101 telephone number, and ask to speak to the local Wildlife Crime Officer. A Wildlife Crime Officer will have the authority to investigate and take further action if necessary.
We understand that any loss of habitat is upsetting, and we take this issue very seriously. Our website has further advice about what to do and what details to record if you witness a bird crime or suspected offence against birds, here
Healthy, well-managed hedgerows are brilliant for nature. Across England, there’s around 500,000km of hedgerows crisscrossing farmland and home to a horde of creatures, providing nesting sites for birds like Bullfinches, Linnets, Dunnocks and Chaffinches.
Back in spring 2024, laws protecting hedgerows were under threat. But thankfully thousands of RSPB supporters joined our campaign to Help Our Hedgerows! and the UK Government reinstated hedgerow protections on farmland in England. The regulations mean that relevant hedgerows must be protected by a 2m buffer strip and not cut between 1 March and 31 August.
