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Huntsville, AL Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)

Heavy Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Protected class
Any songbird, city-wide
City status
Entire city = bird sanctuary
Enforcement exception
HAS/police, nuisance or hazard only
Max penalty
$500 fine / 6 months jail

Summary

Huntsville has declared its entire city limits a bird sanctuary and bans killing or capturing songbirds year-round.

It shall be unlawful for any person to pursue, injure, capture, kill or destroy any songbird of any kind, at any time, within the city. This section shall not be construed so as to apply to the director, the HAS officers or to any law enforcement officer when a nuisance exists or when there is a hazard to health or safety which in the judgment of such officer cannot be otherwise remedied.(b)The entire area of the city is designated as a bird sanctuary. (Ord. No. 95-693, § 5-51, 10-12-1995; Ord. No. 18-952A, § 1, 11-1-2018)

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 30 Update 2).

Full Breakdown

City Code Sec. 5-108 makes it unlawful to pursue, injure, capture, kill or destroy any songbird at any time within Huntsville, and it designates the entire area of the city a bird sanctuary. The only exception is Huntsville Animal Services officers or law enforcement acting on an actual nuisance or health/safety hazard that can't otherwise be remedied. This sits alongside Sec. 5-104's ban on trapping songbirds even with a homeowner's own humane trap.

Violations & Fines

General penalty under Sec. 1-7: fine up to $500, up to 6 months in city jail, or both; each act is a separate offense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I trap a songbird that's gotten into my house in Huntsville?
Not with your own trap. Sec. 5-104 bars using any trap, even on your own property, to capture songbirds; call Huntsville Animal Services instead.
Does the bird sanctuary rule cover all birds or just songbirds?
Just songbirds. Sec. 5-108 protects songbirds specifically; nuisance birds a health or safety officer must act on are exempted.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Huntsville

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All Huntsville rules

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