King County, WA Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Bald eagle buffer
- 400-ft radius from active nest
- Spotted owl buffer
- 3,700-ft radius from nest
- Marbled murrelet buffer
- Half-mile radius from nest
- Eagle machinery restriction
- Barred within 800 ft, Jan 1–Aug 31
- Applies to
- Unincorporated King County only
Summary
Unincorporated King County protects active nests of bald eagles, ospreys, peregrine falcons, marbled murrelets, spotted owls, great blue herons and other species by drawing a fixed-radius wildlife habitat conservation area around each nest and barring clearing or construction there during breeding season.
For a bald eagle: a. The wildlife habitat conservation area is a four-hundred-foot radius from an active nest; b. Between March 15 and April 30, alterations are not allowed within eight hundred feet of the nest; and c. Between January 1 and August 31, land clearing machinery, such as bulldozers, graders, or other heavy equipment, shall not be operated within eight hundred feet of the nest.
Full Breakdown
K.C.C. 21A.24.382 sets a species-by-species buffer that development proposals and land alterations must respect: 400 feet around an active bald eagle nest, 820 feet around a great blue heron rookery, a half-mile around a marbled murrelet nest, and 3,700 feet around a spotted owl nest, among others. Machinery and clearing are additionally barred within larger seasonal radii during nesting windows, such as 800 feet of an eagle nest between January 1 and August 31. Only alterations listed under K.C.C. 21A.24.045 are allowed inside the buffer, and DLS reviews compliance during permitting.
Violations & Fines
King County's Department of Local Services enforces the buffer during critical-areas and building-permit review; unpermitted clearing, grading or construction inside a nest buffer can trigger a stop-work order, mandatory habitat restoration, and civil code-enforcement penalties under King County Code Title 23.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this cover Seattle or Bellevue?
Can a nest buffer be reduced?
What triggers the buffer?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in King County
Compare King County to another location·View the Washington animal ordinances overview
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