Defra: Consultation on Amending the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
Aimed at shooters, but we can all take part.
Defra (the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs) has just released details of a consultation titled “Protecting wild birds: Consultation on Amending the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 which allows certain species of wild birds to be killed or taken outside of their close seasons”. The consultation will assess all wild bird species listed on Schedule 2.1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Schedule 2.1 is the part of the Act which sets out which species “can be legally killed or taken outside the close season” - ie shot for ‘sport’. As Defra puts it:
Schedule 2.1 currently lists 19 species of wild birds in England and Wales and 23 species in Scotland, mainly ducks, geese and wading birds. Although all wild birds are protected under the Act, Schedule 2.1 provides limited exemptions that allow these listed species to be shot outside the close season, mainly for recreational shooting and harvesting.
The consultation aims to identify those species listed under Schedule 2.1 that “are potential candidates for a change in status with respect to the schedule”. In other words, those species which should be given better protection under a law that - in theory - should already protect them!
The consultation opened on 23 March 2026 and runs until 17 May 2026.
Why is the consultation taking place?
On a page headed Background, Defra explains that the consultation has arisen from a previous review carried out in 2023 in England by Defra and Natural England (NE), and similar reviews carried out by NatureScot and Natural Resources Wales in Scotland and Wales.
Defra says this consultation is proposing changes to the” list of species under Schedule 2.1 of the WCA, as it applies in England, Scotland and Wales”. Defra adds, tantalisingly, “to provide greater protection for certain species currently listed” - though as we explain below ‘greater’ is not the same as ‘proper’...
“This review was carried out to ensure that shooting certain species of wild birds is sustainable and does not undermine their recovery. This was in line with the Secretary of State’s species abundance target to improve the status of threatened species in England by 2042 and to halt species decline by 2030; the Scottish government’s targets to halt biodiversity loss by 2030 and restore and regenerate biodiversity by 2045; and Wales’ objectives as stated in the Nature Recovery Action Plan (NRAP), since several of the species on Schedule 2.1 are experiencing declining populations and appear on conservation priority listings.”
Which species are involved?
Nine species are included in the consultation: one goose, three ducks, three shorebirds (or waders), Wood Pigeon, and Coot.
A table outlining the proposed changes is published on a page titled Overview.
Not everyone will be familiar with all of the species, of course, but a quick summary of their conservation status perhaps explains why the majority of them are being looked at. The proposals on their Schedule 2.1 status come directly from the pages of the consultation.
(NB: The UK Birds of Conservation Concern was created by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). Birds of Conservation Concern 5, commonly known as the Red List for Birds, was published in December 2021.)
European Great White-fronted Goose: Red-listed in the UK Birds of Conservation Concern in 2021 due to a 60% decline in its wintering population over 25 years. The UK and Welsh governments are proposing to remove European White-fronted Goose from Schedule 2.1 as it applies in England and Wales respectively.
(Common) Goldeneye: Red-listed in the UK Birds of Conservation Concern due to significant declines in its non-breeding wintering population. Data indicate a ~54% decline in the UK wintering population from 1997 to 2022. The UK government and Welsh government are proposing to remove goldeneye from Schedule 2.1 as it applies in England and Wales. The Scottish government is proposing to extend the close season of goldeneye so that shooting may not begin until 1 October instead of 1 September.
(Northern) Pintail: Amber-listed, the UK wintering population of approximately 20,000–28,000 birds is of international significance. A declining trend here is in line with range losses in Fennoscandia and central Europe. The UK government argues Pintail has such a small breeding population in England it should be removed from Schedule 2.1. The Scottish government is proposing to extend the close season below and above the high-water mark to 30 September so that shooting may not begin until 1 October instead of 1 September. The Welsh government is proposing to extend the close season for Pintail to 30 November in Wales.
(Northern) Pochard: Red-listed in the UK Birds of Conservation Concern due to severe breeding population declines, the Pochard is also listed as Vulnerable on the global IUCN Red List. The UK, Scottish and Welsh governments are proposing to remove Pochard from Schedule 2.1 in England, Scotland and Wales.
Common Snipe: Amber-listed in the UK Birds of Conservation Concern due to recent population declines. Some estimates suggest around 85,000 are shot annually, but some sources indicate it could be higher depending on the number of migratory birds present in the country. The UK and Scottish governments are proposing to extend the close season in England and Scotland respectively so that shooting may not begin until 30 September instead of 12 August. The Welsh government is proposing to remove common snipe from Schedule 2.1 in Wales.
(Eurasian) Woodcock: Red-listed on the UK’s Birds of Conservation Concern since 2015, with populations of British and Irish Woodcock in decline. It is estimated that up to 140,000 are shot annually during the open season. The UK and Welsh governments are proposing to extend the close season, which currently ends on 30 September, to 30 November as it applies in England and Wales respectively. The Scottish government is proposing to extend the close season, which currently ends on 31 August, to 14 November in Scotland.
Wood Pigeon: Currently can be shot all year round under a General Licence. It’s estimated that between 1 million and 3 million are shot every year in the UK, with some estimates suggesting up to 3.6 million are killed annually to ‘manage damage’ to crops. Governments recognise that ‘shooting for fun’ also takes place, so the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments are proposing to add Wood Pigeon to Schedule 2.1 as it applies in England, Scotland and Wales respectively with a close season of 1 February to 31 August.
(Eurasian) Coot: Assessed as Vulnerable in the GB IUCN Red List for both breeding and non‑breeding populations, and Amber‑Listed in Wales BoCC due to long‑term breeding declines. It may surprise readers to learn that some people shoot Coots for fun (or for ‘recreation,’ as it’s often put), but is a legal quarry species. The Welsh government is proposing to remove Coot from Schedule 2.1 in Wales.
(European) Golden Plover: According to BTO data, has a stable breeding population of approximately 33,000 pairs in the UK but has seen a 20.9% distribution contraction. Golden Plover is listed as Red-listed on Birds of Conservation Concern Wales due to major declines in breeding and non‑breeding populations and shows a 58% decline in Wales over the past 25 years (1997/98 to 2022/23) in the wintering population. The Welsh government is proposing to remove Golden Plover from Schedule 2.1 in Wales
Defra states that some species that many of us would like to see better protected are covered by other legislation, so are not part of the consultation. This includes Grey Partridge, a native species now Red-listed as a Bird of Conservation Concern in the UK due to steep population decline linked to agricultural intensification, but covered by the Game Act, meaning their ‘protection’ is not under consideration.
Proposed changes
As the table above shows, there are some welcome changes being proposed, but they don’t go far enough in our opinion.
For example, extending close seasons doesn’t stop birds being killed, just delays when they are shot. There is no extra limit on the number that can be killed or a limit to how often shooters can go out during the ‘shorter’ season.
In their press release (and note the dread phrase “recreational shooting of European White-fronted Goose”) Defra says
“The new rules would restrict the shooting of species including the iconic woodcock, and distinctive pintail, goldeneye and pochard ducks – to ensure they have far greater protection. These species are all classed as under threat and have seen their populations fall sharply in recent years, with some native population numbers now numbering in the hundreds. The proposals include fully prohibiting the recreational shooting of the European white-fronted goose.”
It quotes Nature Minister Mary Creagh saying, "The woodcock, pochard, goldeneye, and pintail ducks are all iconic national birds. Their rapid decline is deeply concerning and it is our job to ensure they are properly protected for future generations to cherish.”
Mary Creagh is undoubtedly supportive of nature, but frankly we are fed up with reading about ‘future generations’. Our position - and one we think is entirely reasonable - is that birds have a right to exist, flourish, and live naturally for their own sakes, regardless of whether ‘future generations’ of humans cherish them or not. Ms Creagh is correct, though: the declines are concerning. Many bird species are in freefall largely through habitat loss. The climate crisis will seriously impact a number of species across the UK. To continue to allow armed ‘hobbyists’ to blow them out of the sky on top of these existential pressures is nonsensical.
And it is nonsensical. Need an example? The consultation suggests that the season for killing Common Snipe should be changed. For animal welfare reasons, apparently, but not the reasons you might be thinking. Again from the press release:
“The UK and Scottish governments are considering extending the close season for the common snipe on the grounds of animal welfare, meaning the species can no longer be shot in the breeding season so their chicks are no longer left motherless during this critical period.”
How on earth is this shameful situation allowed to exist? It is unlawful to intentionally damage the nests or eggs of any wild bird, but shooters can still kill Common Snipe in August when birds - especially in Scotland where colder northern temperatures and higher altitudes can delay the start of the nesting season compared to warmer lowland areas in the south - may still be breeding. How utterly ridiculous is that…
Open to all of us even if Defra doesn’t appear to think so…
Defra is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding the natural environment, supporting the food and farming industry, and sustaining the rural economy. For many of us, though, it is a department that again and again prioritises the so-called ‘rural economy’ over protecting the natural environment.
To prove the point, under ‘Why your views matter’, Defra states:
“These changes would directly affect anybody who participates in the shooting of any of the species listed above.”
No, Defra, apart from directly affecting the birds that are shot (which should really be the only metric that matters), these changes would also directly affect the millions of us who loathe seeing shooters blasting birds out of the air for ‘sport’. The millions of us who love and value birds. The millions of us who are appalled that shooting is ‘protected’ by government after government, and that the lives of millions of birds are seen purely in terms of income generation and ‘tourism’.
A shooter’s ‘fun’ is not more important than a bird’s life.
Filling in the consultation
The consultation runs until 17 May and is open to everyone.
It is 25 pages long and has multiple-choice questions on most of those pages. Pages 20-23 ask about providing Welsh language options and submitting your responses. It takes about 30 minutes to complete.
There are examples (the Woodcock is one) where the choice is extending the close season or leaving it as now, with no option to ban shooting altogether. A question on Page 26 (“6.2. Should other amendments (for example an extension or shortening of a close season be made with regard to any other species listed on Schedule 2.1 in England, Scotland or Wales?”) does allow for comment, though.
Clearly, the way to give ‘iconic’ birds proper protection is to stop shooting them full stop. There is zero reason to shoot these birds, other than some people with guns ‘enjoy’ it. That’s not a reason to allow them to kill wild birds - whether they are ‘iconic’ Woodcocks, ‘distinctive’ Pintails, or ‘ordinary’ Coots.
However, shooters will almost certainly be lining up to keep the seasons open for as long as possible. Those of us who witnessed the faux debate on shortening the Woodcock-killing ‘season’ three years ago will know how disingenuous their arguments are but how strongly they will be put forward. So if you have time, please do have a look at the consultation.
It is far from perfect, but it would be a missed opportunity if the ‘men with guns’ were the only people to respond.
Deeply abhorrent and despairing just how many poor bird species "Deathra" allows to be openly shot and murdered, especially poor pigeons! I will try completing the consultation for the sake of helping nudge barbaric "bird shooting" hopefully a bit closer to where it rightfully belongs, in the history bin! Although this consultation, again, sounds very similar to the "badger 'cull' consultation" that was run a few years ago that was also openly pro kill.
Shooting birds for entertainment is abhorrent, it seems to many wealthy and well connected people including the monarchy, delight in the slaughter. It seems that this horror will continue unabated
with Defra's approval.