The British government has imposed restrictions on keeping birds indoors for the second year in a row due to the heightened risk of a devastating strain of bird flu. This includes an England-wide avian influenza prevention zone, requiring those with 50 or more poultry or captive birds to house them inside. Similar measures have been implemented across Scotland.
Birdkeepers must adhere to enhanced biosecurity measures, such as reporting changes in egg production and suspected disease to the Animal and Plant Health Agency. The government declared this following an increased risk and escalating number of confirmations of highly pathogenic avian influenza in both kept and wild birds.
The disease has been spreading rapidly and has devastated UK wild bird populations since 2021. It has also spread to various species globally, including southern elephant seals, and has caused deaths in humans, with 11 deaths recorded globally between January and August 2025.
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