Can Tree Work Be Carried Out During Bird Nesting Season?
If you're planning tree work in spring or summer and you've heard about bird nesting season, you might be wondering whether you can still go ahead with the job. It's an important question — and one that any responsible tree surgeon should be able to answer clearly. Here's what the law says, how we handle it in practice, and what it means for your tree work.
When Is Bird Nesting Season in the UK?
Bird nesting season in the UK generally runs from February through to August, though this isn't a fixed legal date — it's a broad guideline based on when most species are actively nesting. Some birds begin as early as late January; others nest into September. The peak activity period is typically March to July.
During nesting season, all wild bird nests that are actively in use — containing eggs or chicks — are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is illegal to intentionally damage, destroy, or disturb an active nest. This applies regardless of the species or whether the nest is in a tree, hedge, or any other structure.
Importantly, the law doesn't prohibit tree work during nesting season outright. It prohibits disturbing or destroying active nests. The distinction matters: tree work can go ahead, but only once a qualified professional has checked that no active nests are present — or taken steps to work safely around any that are found.
How We Check for Nests Before Starting Work
At Rogers & Cork Tree Care, we carry out a visual inspection before starting any job where nesting is a possibility. For trees that are open and leafless — typically in winter and early spring — this inspection is usually sufficient to confirm whether nests are present.
For trees in full leaf, the inspection process is more involved. Dense foliage can conceal a nest that isn't visible from the ground, so in these cases we may carry out an aerial inspection from height before beginning work, rather than simply proceeding and discovering a problem part-way through.
If an active nest is found during our inspection — or if one is discovered once work has started — we stop immediately. The job is rescheduled to be completed after the nesting season has ended, or at a point when the nest is no longer active. This is non-negotiable, regardless of any inconvenience it may cause.
What Happens If a Nest Is Discovered Mid-Job?
It happens. Even with a careful pre-work inspection, a nest can occasionally be missed — particularly in dense canopy or thick hedgerows. When this occurs, the right course of action is simple: stop work, leave the nest undisturbed, and reschedule.
We've encountered situations where a customer was concerned a nest might be present before we'd even started — in that case, we simply pushed the work back as a precaution. The peace of mind was worth more than pushing ahead and risking a problem. In other instances, we've been able to work carefully around a nest — completing the parts of the job that don't affect the nesting area, then returning to finish once the season is over.
The key point is that bird nesting season doesn't have to mean a complete halt on tree work. It means tree work needs to be assessed and managed properly.
Planning Ahead: Timing Your Tree Work
The practical implication for homeowners is worth understanding. If you have tree work that needs doing — particularly removal of large trees, significant crown reductions, or hedge cutting — the most straightforward time to book it is between September and January. Outside of nesting season, there are no nest-related constraints, inspections are quicker and more reliable, and jobs can usually proceed without the risk of a mid-job delay.
If your tree work genuinely can't wait until autumn or winter — perhaps for safety reasons, or because a tree has been damaged — it can still be carried out in spring or summer. It simply needs to be done by a tree surgeon who takes the pre-work inspection seriously and is prepared to adapt if a nest is found.
Be wary of any tree surgeon who dismisses nesting concerns entirely or tells you it won't be a problem without actually checking. That's not just a legal risk for them — it's a risk for you as the property owner too.
Tree Surgery in Leicester, Hinckley, Loughborough and Beyond
Rogers & Cork Tree Care carries out tree work across Leicester, Hinckley, Loughborough, Oadby, and the wider Leicestershire area, year-round. We take our responsibilities around bird nesting season seriously — every job during the nesting period includes a proper pre-work inspection, and we'll always be straight with you if a job needs to be postponed.
Get in touch for a free quote if you'd like to discuss tree work.