Birds in your roof in Leeds – How we can help you

06 May Birds in your roof in Leeds – How we can help you

All wild birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Under Section 1 of this Act, it is illegal to destroy a bird’s nest while it is in use or being built.

It is also illegal to kill, or injure or take any wild bird. Or to put it plainly, wild birds should be left alone.

If you have birds in your roof, this revelation can be disheartening. However, it is important to point out that it is rare for birds to cause a roof any significant damage.

How we can help you

We can carry out repairs to your roof in line with the law. We will, throughout the repairs, do our best to preserve a nesting site. If this is unavoidable, then we will follow current legislation. To help you understand what we can do and when we can do it, below you will find three frequently asked questions regarding birds in a roof in Leeds:

1.      Can I close up my roof?

If your roof is in a state of disrepair or it is leaking and the only way to fix the roof is to disturb a nesting site, then you can make roof repairs. This is acceptable because roofing work is unavoidable and a weatherproof roof is essential to human health. Care should be taken not to disturb the nest however if inside nesting season (more on this below).

2.      When can I close up my roof?

Nesting season for birds is from 1st March until the 31st July. You can close up your roof outside of nesting season – providing your roof is not being used for nesting or roosting. The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 sets out rules for this. Some birds are rarer than others and where a Schedule 1 species is involved, measures must be taken to provide that species with an alternative nesting site as close to the original site as possible.

3.      Should I close up my roof?

As we have previously mentioned, it is rare for birds to cause any significant damage to a roof. For all intents and purposes, they come and go peacefully, and they nest and roost all without affecting human lives. However, if the birds have started to venture deeper into the roof they could rip up insulation and this is a problem. Under the circumstances, closing up the roof is an option, however it must be carried out outside of nesting season.

For help with your roof, contact our team today on 0113 293 4038.