When was the first successful attempt to protect birds with a modern wildlife law?

The Sea Birds Preservation Act, passed in Britain in 1869, was among the first laws aimed specifically at protecting birds from human pressure. It reflected growing concern about seabird slaughter for feathers, food, and collections. Later legislation in Britain and elsewhere expanded protections to nests, eggs, and migratory species. These early laws helped establish the idea that bird populations needed legal conservation measures.