Four birds added to hunt ban list

Heritage Minister Malcolm Noonan has announced there’s no longer an open season on four bird species: scaup, goldeneye, pochard, and pintail (all ducks). 

There is no longer an open season on four species: scaup (top left), pintail (centre left), goldeneye (bottom left), and pochard (right).

Heritage Minister Malcolm Noonan can’t win as he tries to protect our threatened wild bird population.

Conservationists, such as BirdWatch, say he’s not going far enough... while shooters argue he’s over-restrictive and squandering an opportunity to put a proper management plan in place.