Hello, I am a visual artist working in Bristol and I am keen to acquire the remains of coastal birds, their heads and feet (and possibly the wings of smaller birds). This is for a project in response to the recent Deepwater Horizon disaster in the US, and I hope to eventually expand it to cover previous oil spills. I could roam the coast for a very long time before I come across any corpses I would be very grateful if anyone could help me to locate any within easy reach of Bristol. I am happy to have them still with flesh on. I appreciate that the wildlife of the Gulf of Mexico is not identical to that of the UK, but that is not an issue.
Hi Crowlady,
Just to clarify a few points you need to be aware of first. Assuming the bird remains you require have died of natural causes, you can have possession of wild bird “parts” so long as you can explain their origin (i.e. the onus is on you to show that they come from a legitimate source). Therefore, it is worth keeping details of when and where the bird was found and its cause of death. Otherwise, ensure you clarify these details if any bird remains are acquired from a third party such as local bird/wildlife rescue centres or taxidermists.
It’s also important to be aware that if you buy any bird remains, these will also require documentary evidence to accompany the sale to show that the bird was lawfully removed from the wild or bred in captivity (unlikely with many coastal bird species!). The seller must keep certain records.
Birds listed on Schedule 3, part III may be sold dead from 1 September to 28 February only.
See the checklist of legal status of UK birds on pages 17-26 of this document: Wild birds and the law in England and Wales.
Find out what's hot in the world of wildlife with the wildlife enquiries blog here
Hi Ian
That is really interesting. I didn't know this information.
Thank you for enlightening us all. :-)
Best wishes Chris
Click Here to see my photos