The natural capital benefits of shooting
BASC published its inaugural natural capital report in March 2024 to establish the value of benefits generated by UK shooting.
Wing survey
Do your bit for the future of sustainable wildfowl shooting
What has the wing survey found so far?
The wing survey has been running since 1965, but our best data is from the 1980s onwards. It tells us the ages and sexes of the quarry species shot and submitted each year.
Since 1986, more than 46,000 wings have bee submitted to the survey, providing a hugely valuable resource to assess population changes over a long period of time.
Woodcock
Self-regulation is working
The BASC wing survey, along with other bag data, shows that more than 90% of woodcock are harvested after 1 December, in line with best practice guidance.
The BASC wing survey, along with other bag data, shows that more than 90% of woodcock are harvested after 1 December, in line with best practice guidance.
Wigeon
The long term overall population trend for wigeon is an increase in numbers. However, in recent years - from 2009 to 2018 - the European population has declined by 26%.
BASC wing survey data shows a significant decline in the proportion of adult females and juveniles in the sample.
Pink-footed goose
BASC wing survey data provides an insight into breeding success and juvenile survival of pink-foots. On average, since 2017/18 50.2% of the sample has been juveniles.
You can now submit goose wings through the Epicollect app; find out more lower down this page.
Annual report
How do I get involved in the wing survey?
You can get involved in the wing survey throughout the wildfowling season (see information below).
By contributing to the survey, you will be adding towards a valuable dataset. Together, we can ensure that we have the evidence of responsible harvest of wildfowl and are acting sustainably by monitoring the species we shoot. This information ultimately contributes to safeguarding the future of wildfowling.
Find out more below about how to submit your wing data.
Why wings?
The wing survey is a monitoring project which collects data about shot ducks, geese and waders from wings sent to us by shooters. Wings provide invaluable information about the age and sex ratios of waterbird harvests.
The data can be used to provide information such as the timing of migratory bird arrival at different locations in the UK, breeding success. Over time, such information will help us understand whether we take sustainable portions of the population.
Many huntable species demonstrate population declines in the UK and in Europe. There is a lack of accurate population and hunting data for many of these species, therefore any information we can collect is vital to their long-term conservation.
Data from wing surveys across the world is used to monitor shot populations. For example, USA, Denmark and France have successful, long-term wing surveys which feed data into international trends such as the Wetlands International’s Waterbird Population Estimates.
Why is this project important?
Working with the Waterfowlers’ Network, we will share results from our wing survey to contribute to the bigger picture of what is happening to waterfowl populations across the North West European Flyway (NWEF).
These wide-ranging species require a combined effort from all countries that share the flyway to collect information about their numbers, distribution and harvest.
With an increasing amount of regulation surrounding wildfowling, mainly due to the uncertainty surrounding our migratory bird populations, more data on population composition and hunting is vital.
By taking part in the survey, you be are contributing to the data we have been collecting since 1986. With long-term trends, we can fill the gaps in our understanding of waterbird populations to make more informed decisions about how we can harvest them sustainably.
Thank you to everyone who has supported the survey over the years. Please promote the scheme to your fellow wildfowlers and duck and goose shooters and to continue sending us wings as we move forward.
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Conservation in action newsletter
Read our updates on BASC conservation projects, including how you an get involved.
Project Penelope
Project Penelope is a project led by the Waterfowlers’ Network aiming to improve data collection, waterfowl habitats and sustainable management of waterbirds.
