Santa Ana, CA Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Designation
- City is a designated bird sanctuary, Sec. 5-5
- Core ban
- No killing, injuring, or nest/egg damage to wild birds
- Songbird rule
- Willful killing or injury of song birds unlawful
- Nuisance exception
- Officer may order destruction of numerous pest birds
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor; each day a separate offense
- Related rule
- Pet birds capped at four without permit, Sec. 5-5.5
Summary
Santa Ana designates itself a bird sanctuary under Municipal Code Section 5-5 and bans killing or injuring any species of wild bird within city limits, along with damaging or molesting a wild bird's nest or eggs. The animal control officer may also order destruction or control of birds such as starlings when a flock becomes a public nuisance or health menace.
The City of Santa Ana is designated a bird sanctuary and signs bearing the legend "SANTA ANA IS A BIRD SANCTUARY" shall be placed at appropriate locations at or near the city limits at principal entrances to the city. No person shall kill or injure any species of wild birds or molest or damage the nest or the eggs of any wild birds within the city. It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully kill or injure any song bird, or to molest, or damage the nest of such bird.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 32).
Full Breakdown
Section 5-5 of Chapter 5 makes Santa Ana a designated 'bird sanctuary,' directing that signs reading 'SANTA ANA IS A BIRD SANCTUARY' be posted near the city limits at principal entrances. ' The ordinance is not absolute, however, it gives the animal control officer authority to declare a nuisance exception. destroyed or otherwise controlled,' the mechanism the city uses for pest-bird abatement without violating the sanctuary designation. 5, which separately caps the noncommercial keeping of pet birds at four per property without a special permit, and it sits under the general enforcement and penalty framework of Sections 5-2 through 5-4, meaning violations are pursued by the animal control officer and punishable as chapter-wide misdemeanors.
Violations & Fines
Killing, injuring, or nest/egg destruction involving a protected wild bird is a misdemeanor under Section 5-3, with each day of a continuing violation treated as a separate offense. The animal control officer enforces the sanctuary designation and must first declare a nuisance-bird exception before any destruction or control of a problem flock, such as starlings, can lawfully occur.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I be cited for harming a bird's nest in Santa Ana?
Are starlings or pest birds exempt from the sanctuary rule?
Does the sanctuary designation limit how many pet birds I can keep?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Ana
California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Ana to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Bird Protection in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle bird protection.