Donal Hickey: Does hunting birds on a conservation list make sense?

A public consultation on the open seasons order is now underway so you can have your say on this issue — link in this article

The red grouse is among birds listed as Amber or Red on the BirdWatch Ireland Birds of Conservation Concern Ireland (BOCCI) list — but can still be hunted at certain times of the year

Gun club members tell us that red grouse, an emblematic bird of the moorland, has become quite scarce, amid concerns for its long-term survival. Some shooters haven’t seen a grouse in years.

As it feeds largely on heather, grouse has been severely hit by the loss of peaty habitat and is placed at number-one by Birdwatch Ireland on its amber, or red-listed, birds in need of help, with some in danger of extinction.