Oakland, CA Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)

Oakland's bird protections sit in Chapter 6.04 of the Municipal Code, the Animal Control Regulations. Ordinance No. 13858, adopted September 15, 2025, is the amending ordinance printed on every section below. Four separate rules reach wild birds.

Capture and killing. Section 6.04.340 makes it unlawful for any person to trap, snare or otherwise capture or kill any wild birds in the City. The rule covers the whole city, not just parks, and the text carves out no exception for a private yard. Section 6.04.020 defines "wild animal" as any animal not ordinarily and customarily domesticated, and the first example it lists is birds.

Lake Merritt. Section 6.04.330 is a location-specific rule. No one may throw missiles or projectiles of any kind at waterfowl in or around Lake Merritt, and no one may disturb those birds in any way. The disturbance clause is wider than the throwing clause, so a rule-breaker does not need to hit a bird to be in violation.

Harassment. Section 6.04.355(A) bars harassing any non-captive wild or undomesticated animal, and its list of examples ends with turkeys, peacocks and other birds not kept as pets. "Harass" means an intentional act which disrupts an animal's normal behavioral patterns, including breeding, feeding or sheltering. The rule gives way to anything authorized by Title 6 or State law, and Section 6.04.355(C) exempts persons legally engaged in hazing wild animals under applicable laws.

Feeding. Section 6.04.355(B) prohibits intentionally feeding wild animals in any public park, sidewalk, street, or on other property owned by the City of Oakland or another public agency, and it defines "wild" as any animal that is not a dog or cat, naming pigeons, geese and other birds. Feeding on private property is protected when it is the responsible use of a bird-feeder with food intended or safe for birds, such as seeds and nuts. The same 2025 ordinance repealed former Section 6.04.345, which had dealt with feeding feral pigeons, so Section 6.04.355 now governs bird feeding alone.

Nearby poultry rules are separate. Section 6.04.320 forbids keeping ducks, geese, chickens or other fowls in an enclosure unless its exterior boundaries are more than twenty (20) feet from any dwelling, church or school, and Section 6.04.360(A) bans displaying or selling live baby chicks, ducklings or other fowl, except by dealers, hatcheries or stores lawfully selling them for food purposes.