As we informed members recently, the new Scottish Kept Bird Register requires gamekeepers who use decoy birds in multi-catch crow cages and Larsens, to register these birds.
More information, here: https://www.scottishgamekeepers.co.uk/latest-news/2024/2024-11-20-decoy-birds-to-be-registered-under-new-kept-bird-register.php
Since then, we’ve asked Scottish Government Disease Control for clarifications on some points.
The following information may be useful to members when registering call/decoy birds.
Answers to key questions
We asked: If a shoot is operated over several farms/landholdings, what location should be used?
Call bird and trap locations are likely to be moved across the holdings.
Scottish Government said: We acknowledges the difficulties associated with giving an exact location for a call bird trap, given that they can be relocated regularly. Although each holding must register the call birds captive at their location, a single postcode or relevant grid reference/CPH number would be acceptable for trap movements within a holding, which can act as the single registered location for the trap, regardless of minor relocations.
There is also no need to register multiple traps on one holding, or to update details of birds that have been caught and dispatched within 24 hours. Those birds that are captive for more than 24 hours must be registered.
Keepers can also include the average number of call birds anticipated to be at their locations when completing the stocking arrangements section on the register for their game bird flock.
We asked: Because a call bird is a wild bird, is the person looking after its welfare the ‘registered keeper’ for the duration of having the call bird?
Scottish Government said: Any bird held captive in a cage or trap becomes a captive bird, in law. If kept for more than 24 hours, it must be registered by the person who has the day-to-day management of the bird/s because they are considered to be the keeper of the bird/s.
We asked: Why does registering call birds reduce the spread of Avian flu? The target species will be humanely dispatched at time of catching anyway.
Scottish Government said: Birds dispatched or release within 24 hours are not required to be registered. The registration of all other birds provides the Animal and Plant Health Agency with vastly increased visibility in terms of the location and nature of kept bird flocks in Scotland during a disease outbreak. Location knowledge within a disease control area will significantly speed up the vital tracing and surveillance processes, thereby reducing the risk of unchecked onward spread of the virus.
The data allows the Government to directly communicate with bird keepers, providing essential information such as the measures keepers need to take to protect the health of the birds, human health and to prevent disease spread.
We asked: Can an estate which will be operating catching up pens at the end of the season until 28th February, for breeding purposes, register as as whole because the pens will be located across the estate at different locations? Estate employees will work as a team catching the birds and transporting them to hatcheries.
Scottish Government said: The Scottish Kept Bird Register provides the functionality for one main address to be used in conjunction with multiple locations identifying where separate flocks of birds are being kept.
