Whittier, CA Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)

Section 12.40.120, sitting inside Chapter 12.40's "tree ordinance" alongside the trimming and removal permit rules of Sections 12.40.040 and 12.40.050, states that the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 was implemented for the protection of migratory birds and that interaction with wildlife must adhere to the requirements and conditions stipulated in the parkway tree manual. In practice, that means the same director who issues a permit to trim or remove a parkway tree under Section 12.40.040 or processes a trimming request under Section 12.40.050 has to weigh migratory-bird protection before authorizing the work, since the manual, reviewed by the parks, recreation and community services commission at least every five years under Section 12.40.050(C), is where any nesting-season timing or handling conditions are actually spelled out.

The ordinance text itself does not name protected bird species; it defers entirely to the federal statute's definition of migratory bird and to the manual's operational conditions. Enforcement of a wildlife-interaction violation tied to tree work runs through the chapter's general penalty and appeal structure: penalties for noncompliance with permit conditions are calculated under the manual per Section 12.40.130, and a permittee can appeal under Section 12.40.140.