Improving protection for huntable wild birds

View this consultation in Welsh

We want to know what you think about proposed legislative changes to reflect the conservation needs of some species of wild birds in the UK.

All wild birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, but exemptions allow some species listed on a schedule of the Act to be shot for recreational and harvesting purposes. This mostly affects ducks, geese and waders. We want to ensure that the shooting of these wild birds is sustainable.

We’re proposing to:

• remove some species from the schedule
• extend the close season for some species
• add woodpigeon to the schedule so it can have a close season during its breeding period