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Legal status
The honey buzzard is listed on Schedule 1 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981, which affords special protection at all times. It is an offence to take, injure or kill a honey buzzard or to take, damage or destroy its nest, eggs or young. It is
also an offence to intentionally or wrecklessly disturb the birds at or close to their nest during the breeding season. Violation of the law can attract fines up to £5,000 per offence and/or a prison sentence of up to 6 months.
All honey buzzards in captivity must be registered. Wild honey buzzards are allowed to be kept in captivity only temporarily if they are injured, and then must be released back to the wild at the earliest opportunity. Captive bred individuals can be
legally kept, but these must be ringed and registered. Sale or public display of honey buzzards are controlled by Article 10 licence. All the licensing matters are dealt with by Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in Britain and by
Department for Agriculture in Northern Ireland.