Placentia, CA Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)

Section 9.20.040 of the Placentia Municipal Code, in the Wild Animals chapter added to by Ordinance O-2023-01 on April 18, 2023, says no person shall harass, herd or drive any game or nongame bird or mammal or furbearing mammal. Harass means an intentional act that disrupts an animal's normal behavior patterns, including, but not limited to, breeding, feeding or sheltering. The section ends with a citation to California Code of Regulations Title 14, § 251.1.

One exemption is printed. The section does not apply to a landowner or tenant who drives or herds birds or mammals for the purpose of preventing damage to private or public property, including aquaculture and agricultural crops. The exemption is tied to preventing damage, not to convenience or noise.

The definition of wild animal in § 9.20.010 does not include any bird life except as otherwise provided by law, so § 9.20.040 is the section in this chapter that names birds directly. Section 9.20.030 adds a place-based rule: no person shall hunt, kill, wound, feed, touch, tease, frighten or intentionally disturb wild animals in any park, sports field, recreational area or open space, except persons in the performance of official duties.

City parks carry a second bird rule. Section 14.08.100(1) says no person shall hunt, molest, harm, frighten, kill, trap, chase, tease, shoot or throw missiles at any animal, reptile or bird, nor remove or have in possession the young of any wild animal, or the egg or nest, or young of any reptile or bird. Subsection (2) bars giving any animal or bird tobacco, alcohol or other known noxious substances. Section 14.08.020 requires everyone in a city park or facility to comply with the chapter.