Updating information on the period of reproduction and prenuptial migration for UK and Irish species included on Annex II of the EU Birds Directive

Article 7(1) of the European Union’s Directive 2009/147/EC on the conservation of wild birds allows for the hunting of species included within Annex II, where such hunting does not jeopardise conservation efforts. Article 7(4) of the Birds Directive further clarifies that species should not be hunted during their reproductive period or, if the species are migratory, during their prenuptial migration. To ensure effective implementation of these requirements, the European Commission requires Member States to identify the extent of the reproductive period and, where applicable, the timing of prenuptial migration for species included on Annex II that occur on their territory. A review of the best available information on the period of prenuptial migration and reproduction of each huntable species, for each Member State where that species occurs, was first carried out in 2001. The review was updated in 2009 and again in 2014, primarily to fill in missing data, especially for new Member States, but also to address inconsistencies within the species information available. This research report uses the latest BTO information to provide a further update.