Sunnyvale, CA Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited
- hunting, harming, trapping, feeding noxious substances to birds
- Also banned
- taking eggs, nests or young of birds/reptiles
- Exception
- deadly poisonous snakes may be killed on sight
- Enforced by
- parks director and park attendants
- Penalty class
- infraction, fine set under Gov. Code Sec. 36900
- Scope
- applies inside city parks only
Summary
Sunnyvale bans hunting, harming, trapping, chasing or throwing objects at any bird, animal or reptile in a city park, and separately bans taking eggs, nests or young. The only carve-out lets deadly poisonous snakes be killed on sight. Feeding tobacco, alcohol or other noxious substances to a bird or animal in a park is also unlawful under Section 9.62.020.
No person in a park shall: ... (i) Hunt, molest, harm, frighten, kill, trap, chase, tease, shoot or throw missiles at any animal, reptile or bird; nor shall he remove or have in his possession the young of any wild animal, or the eggs or nest, or young of any reptile or bird. Exception to the foregoing is made in that snakes known to be deadly poisonous, such as rattle snakes, or other deadly reptiles, may be killed on sight; (j) Give or offer, or attempt to give to any animal or bird any tobacco, alcohol or other known noxious substances.
Full Breakdown
62 (Public Parks) lists prohibited conduct in any Sunnyvale park, and subsection (i) is the city's bird-protection rule: no person may hunt, molest, harm, frighten, kill, trap, chase, tease, shoot or throw missiles at any animal, reptile or bird, and no one may remove or possess the young of any wild animal or the eggs, nest or young of any reptile or bird. The only exception written into the section is for snakes known to be deadly poisonous, such as rattlesnakes, which may be killed on sight.
Subsection (j) adds a related ban on giving or offering tobacco, alcohol or other known noxious substances to any animal or bird in a park, which reaches the practice of feeding wildlife inappropriate food or drink. 130. 010(b)(4), so a violation is charged as an infraction rather than a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine set under California Government Code Section 36900 because the chapter itself specifies no dollar amount. 010; it does not reach private yards or open space outside park boundaries.
Violations & Fines
Harming, hunting, trapping or feeding noxious substances to a bird or animal in a Sunnyvale park violates Section 9.62.020 and is an infraction because Chapter 9.62 is listed in Section 1.04.010(b)(4) as an infraction-only chapter. Since the chapter sets no specific dollar amount, the fine is set under California Government Code Section 36900 as determined by the court, and park attendants or the parks director enforce the rule on site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I feed birds bread or other food in a Sunnyvale park?
Is it illegal to disturb a bird's nest in a Sunnyvale park?
What is the penalty for harming park wildlife in Sunnyvale?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sunnyvale
California rules heatmap·Compare Sunnyvale to another location·View the California animal ordinances overview
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Bird Protection in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Santa Clara County handle bird protection.