Bird flu in England: rules, zones and safety, Feb 2026

Bird flu is back in the headlines, and the official pages can feel dense. So here’s our plain‑English guide to what’s happening and what you need to do if you keep birds, work with them, or just feed them in your garden. This explainer draws on updates from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Food Standards Agency (FSA). Dates matter, so we’ve timestamped every key point.

As at 18 February 2026, Defra has lifted several temporary zones after successful control and surveillance: the 3km protection zones and associated surveillance zones around two premises near Mundford, Breckland, Norfolk (AIV2025/112 and AIV2025/117) have ended. On 17 February, the surveillance zone for a third premises near Newark‑on‑Trent, Nottinghamshire (AIV 2026/02) was revoked. On 16 February, the 10km surveillance zone near Gainsborough, West Lindsey (AIV 2025/121) and both the protection and surveillance zones near Chedburgh, West Suffolk (AIV 2025/119) ended; the surveillance zone near York, North Yorkshire (AIV 2025/135) was also revoked. On 14 February, HPAI H5N1 was confirmed in other captive birds near Ancroft, Northumberland (AIV 2026/14) and a 3km captive bird monitoring zone is now in place there.

What the zones mean in practice: a protection zone usually covers 3km around an infected premises, with tight rules on movement, housing and cleansing. A surveillance zone usually extends 10km, with checks, record‑keeping and controls on movements, gatherings and egg movements. You may also see ‘captive bird (monitoring) controlled zones’. These are 3km areas created when infection is confirmed in kept birds that are not poultry, with proportionate monitoring rules for local keepers. When a zone is revoked, those temporary restrictions are lifted.

Housing rules under the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ): Great Britain has been in an AIPZ this season. England introduced mandatory housing on 6 November 2025 and Wales on 13 November 2025. Scotland remains within the GB AIPZ and sets its own measures via the Scottish Government. What this means for you: if you keep 50 or more birds in England or Wales, you must house them. If you keep fewer than 50 for your own use only, housing is not required. If you keep fewer than 50 but sell or give away eggs, meat, birds or other products, you must house them. Everyone must maintain strict biosecurity.

Before you move any poultry, eggs, poultry by‑products, used bedding, manure or certain mammals that have been on a premises with birds, check the Defra disease zone map and the movement licence rules on GOV.UK. If a licence is needed, apply first and follow its conditions exactly-these are legal requirements.

How widespread is bird flu this season? For the 2025 to 2026 outbreak season (1 October to 30 September), confirmed HPAI H5N1 cases stand at 74 in England, 9 in Scotland, 7 in Wales and 4 in Northern Ireland; England has also recorded 1 LPAI case. That is 94 HPAI cases and 1 LPAI across the UK so far. For context, the UK recorded 82 HPAI cases in 2024–2025, 6 in 2023–2024, 207 in 2022–2023 and 158 in 2021–2022. Under World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) rules, the UK is not currently free from highly pathogenic avian influenza.

Risk levels explained: APHA assesses the risk of H5 in wild birds in Great Britain as very high-events are expected almost certainly. For poultry, the risk of exposure is high where biosecurity is poor or inconsistent, and medium where robust measures are applied at all times. The most effective actions are routine ones: dedicated footwear, clean kit, disinfected vehicles and pens, and keeping wild birds away from feed and water.

Your health and your food: UKHSA advises the risk to the general public is very low. The FSA says the food safety risk is also very low; properly cooked poultry and eggs remain safe to eat. Keep good kitchen hygiene-store raw products carefully and wash hands and surfaces after preparation.

If you spot dead or sick wild birds, do not touch them. Report them via the GOV.UK service so APHA can target surveillance. Land managers and local authorities can use Defra’s printable posters to alert visitors when a risk has been identified. Feeding wild birds is allowed. Wash your hands afterwards and avoid areas close to premises that keep birds. Within an AIPZ, do not feed wild gamebirds within 500 metres of any premises with more than 500 poultry or captive birds. The British Trust for Ornithology recommends keeping garden feeders and bird baths clean to reduce disease spread. For personal health advice, the NHS has a clear bird flu page.

Avian‑origin influenza can infect mammals. It is notifiable in both wild and kept mammals. You must report immediately if, during an examination or lab analysis, you suspect influenza of avian origin or detect evidence of influenza A virus or antibodies. In England call 03000 200 301. In Wales call 03003 038 268. In Scotland contact your local APHA Field Services Office. Not reporting is an offence.

Thinking of a show or race? If you are not inside a protection or surveillance zone in England, gatherings of parrots (psittaciformes), birds of prey and racing pigeons can go ahead under the general licence, provided you meet the conditions. Gatherings of poultry and other groups-such as chickens and turkeys (galliformes), ducks and geese (anseriformes), songbirds (passeriformes), non‑racing pigeons (columbiformes) and ratites like ostriches-require a specific licence.

About vaccines: you cannot vaccinate poultry or most captive birds against bird flu in England. Zoos can apply to APHA for authorisation to vaccinate eligible birds; only collections with a zoo licence may do so. Defra and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate continue to support research and track vaccine development globally. If you want structured learning, Defra’s ‘Stop the Spread’ webinars cover best practice for backyard keepers and commercial flocks.

Behind the scenes, control work follows Defra’s contingency plans and avian influenza orders and regulations in England, with devolved rules for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. If you need the legal detail-on cleansing and disinfection, approved disinfectants, vaccination rules or wild‑bird provisions-those texts are published on legislation.gov.uk and linked from GOV.UK.