Air rifles

[MildredPuppy]

Does anyone know if you are allowed to shoot birds in your garden. My neighbour has an air rifle and is constantly shooting things.

www.fieldsportschannel.tv/airgun-law-uk/

You can shoot quite a lot of things
www.fieldsportschannel.tv/generallicences/
Pest birds – can you shoot them? This is where it gets complicated. In England, air gun laws used to list birds you CAN’T shoot. Then the government almost accidentally banned all bird shooting so they had to rush out a new list of 20 birds you CAN shoot – it’s a list we call the general licences
www.fieldsportschannel.tv/airgun-law-uk/

However

You must stop pellets from travelling beyond the target. If you don’t, you risk breaking the law. Pellets must never stray outside the limits of your garden.
www.shootinguk.co.uk/guns/air-rifle/garden-air-gunning-73480

It sounds like its legal then. V annoying. Its really upsettting my children as a lot of the birds are just injured. Less worried about the rats.

IANAL but the general licences are for specific purposes (see below). I doubt shooting in a back garden is covered by any of them.
BTW I am not anti shooting.

WML GL40: general licence to kill or take certain species of wild birds to conserve endangered wild birds and flora or fauna. Species covered: carrion crow, jay, magpie, Canada goose, Egyptian goose, monk parakeet, ring-necked parakeet, sacred ibis, Indian house-crow.

WML GL41: general licence to kill or take certain species of wild birds to preserve public health or public safety. Species covered: jackdaw, feral pigeon, Canada goose, monk parakeet.

WML GL42: general licence to kill or take certain species of wild birds to prevent serious damage and prevent the spread of disease. Species covered: carrion crow, jackdaw, magpie, feral pigeon, rook, woodpigeon, Canada Goose, monk parakeet, ring-necked parakeet, Egyptian goose, Indian House crow.