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Bird Nesting Season: What It Means for Hedge Cutting

Every spring someone asks us whether it is illegal to cut a hedge after the start of March. The short answer is no, it is not illegal to cut a hedge in your garden in spring or summer. What is illegal is damaging or destroying an active bird’s nest, and that is where you need to be careful.

What the law says

Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it is an offence to intentionally kill, injure or take a wild bird, or to damage or destroy a nest while it is being built or used. This applies all year round, but in practice it matters most during the main nesting season, which runs roughly from March to the end of August.

Hedges are one of the favourite nesting spots for blackbirds, robins, wrens, dunnocks and many other garden birds. A thick privet, hawthorn or laurel hedge in April can easily have several nests in it.

Farmers have their own separate rules on cutting field hedgerows, but for garden hedges it all comes down to checking for nests first.

How we handle hedge work in spring and summer

We still cut a lot of hedges between March and August, because that is when most of them need it. The difference is how we go about it:

  • We check before we cut. We look along the hedge and watch for birds flying in and out. If there is an active nest, we leave that section and come back later.
  • We go lighter. A trim to tidy the face and top of a hedge is very different to a hard cut back. Bigger reductions are best saved for autumn and winter.
  • We plan the big jobs for winter. If you want a hedge taken down by a metre or cut right back into the body, we will usually book it for between September and February.

Getting the timing right

If you want your hedge looking sharp all summer without causing problems for wildlife, a good routine is a hard cut in late winter (before March) and a light trim in late summer once most birds have finished nesting. Fast growers such as privet and Leylandii may need an extra light trim in between.

We have a separate post coming up on the best times to cut the most common hedges, but if you are not sure what you have, send us a photo and we will tell you.

Questions we get asked

What happens if you find a nest halfway through the job?

We stop cutting around it, leave a good gap so the birds are not disturbed, and arrange to come back and finish that section once the nest is empty. We will not charge you for the trouble.

Does this apply to trees as well?

Yes. Birds nest in trees too, so the same care applies to tree pruning and felling. Bats are also protected, and some older trees have roosts. If we think there might be bats, we will advise on what needs to happen before any work goes ahead.

I have a hedge that is out of control. Should I wait?

If it is a big reduction, autumn or winter is best. If it just needs tidying, we can usually do it now with care. Have a look at our hedge cutting page or give us a call to talk it through.

Book your hedge work early

M Bissell Trees and Hedges looks after hedges for homes and businesses across Stafford, Cannock, Penkridge and the rest of Staffordshire. All of our team are NPTC qualified, and we clear every bit of waste away when we are finished. Call Matt on 07968 421 434 or 01785 82 44 10, or contact us online.