Leg rings for protected bird species

Do you breed or keep protected indigenous or exotic birds in captivity? If so, you must fit these birds with a leg ring immediately after hatching. This leg ring must meet legal requirements. You can order the ring from a recognised bird association.

Which birds must have a leg ring?

You must fit a leg ring to birds you breed that are listed in:

• The Birds Directive (in Dutch): these are protected wild birds that live naturally in the European Union (EU).
• Annex A to the CITES Basic Regulation: these are endangered birds that are protected worldwide.

Is the species listed in both Annex X to the CITES implementing Regulation and Annex A of the CITES Basic Regulation? Then a leg ring is not mandatory.

What requirements must the leg ring meet?

Strict legal requirements (in Dutch) apply to leg rings. The main ones are:

• The leg ring is closed and has no seams. The ring is not damaged.
• The leg ring has unique information that applies only to that ring.
• The leg ring is the right size. Annex VIId of the Environmental Regulation (in Dutch) shows the correct size for each bird species. You may only apply a larger leg ring in exceptional cases. You must prove that this is necessary.

Please note: for birds listed in Annex A to the CITES Basic Regulation, you must also keep records (in Dutch, you can use the downloadable Format voor CITES-administratie). This is not required for birds listed in the Birds Directive.

Ordering leg rings

You may only order leg rings from a recognised bird association (in Dutch). This association ensures that the leg ring meets the requirements. You do not have to be a member of the association. Remember the following when ordering:

• Order the leg ring on time, you must apply the ring immediately after the bird has hatched.
• Do not order the ring too early, the ring must be issued in the year the bird has hatched.
• When ordering, specify the bird species for which you will use the ring. You may only use the leg ring for that species.
• You may not give or sell the leg ring to anyone else.

What if a bird has no leg ring?

The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) checks whether bred birds have the correct leg rings. If a bird does not have the correct leg ring, the NVWA can impose a fine or confiscate the bird.

Do you have a bird without a proper leg ring? Then have this bird chipped by a vet. You can do this if:

• you received the bird without a proper leg ring, but the bird has the right papers
• the bird species was later included in Annex A to the CITES Basic Regulation
• you forgot to give your bird a leg-ring or something went wrong in the process. In this case, first ask permission from the CITES office of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). To do so, send an e-mail to cites@rvo.nl.

Do you want to have a leg ring removed because it has become too small? Then ask the veterinarian to prepare a written statement as to why the ring was not fitted properly. Have the bird chipped and ask the vet for a written statement of the chipping. Send these statements to the CITES office of RVO by email: cites@rvo.nl.