Woodcock Switzerland: Endangered, hunted and ignored

The woodcock is listed on Switzerland's Red List as "vulnerable" (VU). Its breeding population is small and continues to decline. It has almost completely disappeared from the Central Plateau. The federal government has invested 500,000 francs in a national project intended to shed light on its decline. At the same time, 1,400 woodcocks were shot in Switzerland in 2025, and 2,120 in 2024, the vast majority of them in Ticino (Swiss Hunting Statistics 2025). The FOEN study on the subject (Bohnenstengel et al., 2020) demonstrated that Swiss breeding birds remain in the country well into the hunting season and that, depending on the method used, between 14 and 33 per cent of the woodcocks shot are native birds. The Fondation Franz Weber comments: "Woodcock hunting is purely a sporting and leisure activity. There is no need for population control, as there are no conflicts between humans and animals either." BirdLife Switzerland compares the situation with drink-driving: "It is a bit like not banning drink-driving because this cause does not come first in the number of road deaths."

Profile

The woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) belongs to the sandpiper family (Scolopacidae) and is therefore a wader which, contrary to the habits of its family, lives not by water but in the forest. It is about the size of a domestic pigeon, with a body length of 33 to 38 centimetres and a weight of 250 to 420 grams. Its plumage is a masterpiece of camouflage: a complex pattern of brown, black, grey and beige tones that makes the woodcock practically invisible on the forest floor. The long, straight bill (6 to 8 centimetres) is its most important tool: with it, it probes the soft, moist forest soil for earthworms, which make up as much as 90 per cent of its diet.

Biology and Way of Life

The woodcock is a nocturnal loner. By day it sits motionless on the forest floor, relying on its camouflage. At dusk and at night it flies out to open areas (meadows, forest clearings) to feed. In spring the males perform spectacular display flights (the «woodcock roding»): at dusk they fly over the treetops, uttering their characteristic low «quorring» and high «puitzing» calls. The female incubates alone and lays 4 eggs in a hollow in the leaf litter. Incubation lasts 21 to 24 days. When danger threatens, the female can clamp a chick between her body and thigh and fly away with it, a behaviour unique among birds.

The largest field of vision of any bird

The woodcock has arguably the most remarkable eye placement of any bird. Its large, dark brown eyes sit high and to the side of the head, giving it an almost complete 360-degree field of vision. It can see forwards, backwards and upwards at the same time without moving its head (Umweltnetz Schweiz, 2023). This adaptation allows it to spot enemies from any direction while sitting on the ground, probing the soil with its bill for worms. This extraordinary sensory organ, the product of millions of years of evolution, is answered by recreational hunters with a shotgun blast at dusk.

Population and distribution: a bird is disappearing

Red List status

The woodcock is classed as «vulnerable» (VU) on the Red List of Breeding Birds of Switzerland (Knaus et al., 2021). It is not the only huntable bird species on the Red List: the pochard («endangered»), teal, tufted duck and gadwall (all «vulnerable») may also be hunted. Among these species, however, the woodcock is by far the most frequently shot. The Swiss breeding population is estimated at 1,000 to 4,000 displaying males (Swiss Ornithological Institute, population estimate 2013–2016). According to the Red List, the population is small and continues to decline. The Swiss Ornithological Institute in Sempach notes: «As a breeding bird, the woodcock has almost completely disappeared from Switzerland below 900 metres since 1993–1996» (Vogelwarte Sempach, Atlas).

Distribution in Switzerland

The woodcock is still widespread along the northern edge of the Alps and in the central Alps of the Grisons. It has almost completely disappeared from the Central Plateau. In the Jura there are indications of a slightly reduced range (Swiss Ornithological Institute, Vogeljagd in der Schweiz, 2024). It prefers damp, open woodland with a well-developed shrub and herb layer and soft, humus-rich soil. The loss of these habitats through forest densification, drying out as a result of climate change and light pollution is regarded, alongside recreational hunting, as a cause of its decline (Bohnenstengel et al., 2020).

The European context

Across Europe, the population is estimated at around 10 to 13.5 million adult birds. The European Red List (BirdLife International, 2021) classifies the species as 'Least Concern' (LC), but records a declining trend. The threat is a specifically Swiss and western European problem: breeding habitats are deteriorating, and hunting during migration and in the wintering areas adds to the habitat degradation. In France, several hundred thousand woodcock are shot every year. Switzerland is part of a migration route along which the birds travel from north-eastern Europe via central Europe to the Mediterranean and the Atlantic coast. Every kill in Switzerland adds to the cumulative mortality along this route.

More on this: Dossier: Hunting and Biodiversity

Hunting: recreational hunting of an endangered species

Legal situation

Under the Federal Act on Hunting, the woodcock is a huntable species, with a closed season from 15 December to 15 September (Art. 5 para. 1 let. p JSG). It is hunted in seven cantons: Ticino, Valais, Vaud, Fribourg, Neuchatel, Jura and Bern (in the Bernese Jura). All German-speaking cantons have abolished woodcock hunting (Freiburger Nachrichten, 2024). The hunting season varies from canton to canton, but in most cantons it begins in mid-September or mid-October. In the canton of Fribourg, the hunting season now runs from 1 November to 14 December (State of Fribourg). In some cantons there is a limit of two birds per recreational hunter per hunting day (Fondation Franz Weber, 2020).

The scale of the killing

Between 2003 and 2022, the annual hunting bag averaged 1,911 woodcock (range: 1,424 to 2,508). In 2023, 1,157 woodcock were shot, in 2024 2,120 and in 2025 1,400 (Federal Hunting Statistics). Around 85 per cent of the kills occur in the canton of Ticino: 1,172 in 2025, and as many as 1,864 in 2024. Among the Red List bird species, the woodcock is thus by far the most frequently shot. Overall, in 2025 it ranked fourth among bird kills, behind the carrion crow, the mallard and the cormorant (excluding feral domestic pigeons). The figures by canton can be found in the dossier Swiss Hunting Statistics 2025. The Fondation Franz Weber states: «Hunting the woodcock is purely a sporting and leisure activity. There is no need for population regulation» (Fondation Franz Weber, 2020).

The FOEN study: Swiss breeding birds are being shot

For a long time, the decisive question about woodcock hunting was: does the autumn hunt shoot native breeding birds, or only migrants from north-eastern Europe? The recreational hunting lobby argued that the Swiss breeding birds had long since left by the time the hunt began. A study commissioned by the FOEN (Bohnenstengel et al., 2020; Info fauna/CSCF Neuchatel with the Swiss Ornithological Institute in Sempach) has refuted this claim. The study fitted woodcock in the Neuchatel Jura with satellite transmitters and found that Swiss breeding birds do not set off for their winter quarters until mid-October. At the beginning of November, a good half are still present in the breeding area. Ninety-five per cent of departures take place between 21 October and 20 November (Bohnenstengel et al., 2020; Swiss Ornithological Institute, Bird hunting in Switzerland, 2024).

Since over 75 per cent of all kills fall between 16 October and 15 November (Bohnenstengel et al., 2020), native breeding birds are shot as well. A supplementary isotope analysis found that, depending on the method used, between 14 and 33 per cent of the woodcock killed are native. For 19 per cent of the animals examined, the origin was unclear (Umweltnetz Schweiz, 2023). The Swiss Ornithological Institute concludes: «The hunting pressure on the woodcock must be reduced» (Swiss Ornithological Institute, 2024).

The failed JSG revision: cosmetics instead of protection

The revised hunting act rejected by voters in 2020 would have extended the closed season for the woodcock by one month (hunting starting on 16 October instead of mid-September). BirdLife Switzerland criticised: “This adjustment is merely cosmetic: 96 per cent of woodcocks can still be hunted under the new hunting act, including our Swiss breeding birds, which remain in the country well into the hunting season” (BirdLife Switzerland, hunting statistics). The Fondation Franz Weber calculated that only 4 per cent of kills fall within the period that would have been protected by the extended closed season. The revision was a missed opportunity to finally place the woodcock under protection. The hunting act in force since 1 February 2025 also permits woodcock hunting from 16 September to 14 December (Art. 5 para. 1 let. p JSG).

The grotesque case of double funding

The FOEN (Federal Office for the Environment) on the one hand funds species conservation projects for the woodcock with CHF 500,000 (one-off) and contributes around CHF 200,000 annually to the costs of bird protection projects. At the same time, it permits the hunting of the same species in seven cantons. The consumer magazine Saldo commented: “Grotesque: the woodcock is a priority species for species conservation. The Confederation and the cantons fund projects to increase populations, while the Confederation simultaneously releases the animals for killing” (Saldo, 2021).

More on this: Why recreational hunting fails as population control

Ecological significance

Soil keeper and indicator species

The woodcock is a specialist of damp, structurally rich forests with soft ground. Through its intensive foraging (probing the soil for earthworms and insect larvae), it loosens the forest floor and promotes aeration and drainage. Its presence indicates intact soil conditions, sufficient moisture and a healthy earthworm population. Where the woodcock disappears, an indicator of forest ecosystem quality disappears with it.

Food web

The woodcock is prey for the goshawk, eagle owl, tawny owl and fox. Its eggs and chicks are preyed upon by martens, crows and wild boars. As a link between the soil ecosystem (earthworms, insect larvae) and the forest predators, it fulfils an important function in the forest food web.

Cultural history

For centuries, the woodcock has been a central motif of European hunting culture and literature. The 'Schnepfenstrich', the roding display flight at dusk, was described by poets and naturalists from Johann Peter Eckermann to Peter Berthold. Hunting the woodcock was regarded as the 'supreme discipline' of small-game hunting. Today it is the symbol of a form of recreational hunting that refuses to acknowledge that times have changed and that an endangered species is no longer available as sporting prey.

What needs to change

Immediate nationwide protection of the woodcock: The woodcock is listed on the Red List as 'vulnerable' (VU). Its breeding population is small and continues to decline. It has almost disappeared from the Swiss Plateau. Recreational hunting is demonstrably an additional mortality factor affecting native breeding birds. The woodcock must be removed from the list of huntable species. What all the German-speaking cantons have already implemented must be followed through in the seven remaining cantons and at federal level.
Immediate postponement of the hunting season until at least 1 December: For as long as the woodcock remains huntable, the closed season must be extended so that native breeding birds are no longer affected. According to the FOEN study, 95 per cent of the native woodcocks removed are taken between 21 October and 20 November (Bohnenstengel et al., 2020). Only a closed season lasting until 1 December would largely spare Switzerland's breeding birds.
An end to the grotesque double funding: The Confederation must not fund species promotion for the woodcock while simultaneously permitting it to be hunted. This is a waste of taxpayers' money and a contradiction that undermines the credibility of biodiversity policy altogether.
Habitat enhancement: Damp, open woodland with a well-developed herb layer and soft ground must be actively promoted. The drainage of forest soils and the shading caused by neglected thinning are the main causes of habitat loss. The FOEN project on woodcock habitat preferences (Swiss Ornithological Institute Sempach/CSCF) provides the groundwork for this.
International efforts to reduce hunting along the migration route: Under the Bern Convention and the AEWA agreement (African-Eurasian Waterbird Agreement), Switzerland must work towards reducing cumulative hunting mortality along the migration route. The several hundred thousand woodcock shot in France every year also include birds that migrate through Switzerland or breed here.

Talking points

«Most woodcock killed in Switzerland are passage migrants, so hunting does not harm the Swiss population.» The FOEN study (Bohnenstengel et al., 2020) refuted this claim. Swiss breeding birds remain in the country well into the hunting season: at the beginning of November, half of them are still in their breeding grounds. Depending on the methodology, 14 to 33 per cent of the woodcock killed are native. For 19 per cent, the origin is unclear. The Swiss Ornithological Institute in Sempach therefore calls for a reduction in hunting pressure. The fact that passage migrants are shot does not make hunting any more acceptable: these birds are also hunted along the rest of their migration route in France, Spain and Italy. Every kill in Switzerland adds to cumulative mortality.

«The woodcock is not threatened across Europe, so shooting it is justifiable.» The overall European population is no argument for hunting a species that is classed as ‘vulnerable’ in Switzerland. The Red List assesses the national situation. Switzerland has its own obligation to preserve its breeding populations. If a species is nationally threatened, it must not be hunted nationally, regardless of its global status. Anything else is an abdication of responsibility.

«The cantons will adjust the hunting season, and that is enough to protect the species.» The adjustments made so far are cosmetic. The extended closed season in the failed revised hunting act would have prevented only 4 per cent of kills. The canton of Fribourg, too, merely postponed the start of hunting to 1 November and explicitly ruled out a hunting ban, citing the ‘long-standing tradition of woodcock hunting’ (Freiburger Nachrichten, 2024; Canton Fribourg: Woodcock Hunting Despite Red List). As long as hunting remains permitted in principle, the woodcock is not protected. Only a complete hunting ban gives the species the security that its Red List status demands.

«Recreational hunting of the woodcock has a long tradition.» The tradition of woodcock hunting is an upper-class tradition that has nothing to do with the conservation of biodiversity. The woodcock evening flight (Schnepfenstrich) was considered the 'supreme discipline' of small-game hunting. This tradition must not take precedence over the survival of a species. Tradition is no argument for continuing a practice that puts additional pressure on an endangered species. All German-speaking cantons have already abolished the hunting of woodcock, showing that it can be done without.

'The Confederation is investing in species conservation for the woodcock, so the problem has been recognised.' The problem has been recognised, but the solution is being refused. The Confederation has invested 500,000 francs in researching the woodcock while allowing well over a thousand birds to be shot every year (2025: 1,400). It is like repairing a leak in a boat while drilling new holes at the same time. Species conservation loses all credibility as long as the hunting of the species being supported is not ended.

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Related dossiers

sources

FOEN, Federal Hunting Statistics: Woodcock 2003–2025, by canton, retrieved on 21.10.2026 (jagdstatistik.ch)
Swiss Ornithological Institute Sempach (2024): Bird hunting in Switzerland, position paper (vogelwarte.ch)
Swiss Ornithological Institute Sempach: Habitat preferences and onset of migration behaviour in the woodcock, project (vogelwarte.ch)
Swiss Ornithological Institute Sempach: Atlas of Swiss Breeding Birds, Hunting and Persecution by Humans (vogelwarte.ch)
Bohnenstengel T., Rocheteau V., Delmas M., Vial N., Rey E., Homberger B., Gonseth Y. (2020): Projet national sur la Bécasse des bois, Rapport final. Info fauna, Neuchatel, commissioned by the FOEN (bafu.admin.ch)
Knaus P., Antoniazza S., Keller V., Sattler T., Schmid H., Strebel N. (2021): Red List of Breeding Birds. FOEN and Swiss Ornithological Institute, Environmental Enforcement No. 2124 (bafu.admin.ch) (woodcock: VU)
Swiss Ornithological Institute (2020): Population estimate of breeding birds in Switzerland, update 2013–2016 (woodcock: 1,000 to 4,000 males)
BirdLife International (2021): European Red List of Birds 2021 (woodcock, Europe: LC, declining)
BirdLife Switzerland: The current hunting statistics and the revised Hunting Act (birdlife.ch, 2020)
BirdLife Switzerland (2023): Hunting of threatened animals, an anomaly persists in the canton of Vaud (birdlife.ch)
State of Fribourg, Office for Forests and Nature: Woodcock, hunting season 1 November to 14 December (fr.ch)
Fondation Franz Weber (2020): The woodcock, a vulnerable species hunted for sport (ffw.ch)
Freiburger Nachrichten (2024): State Council does not want to ban hunting of the endangered bird (freiburger-nachrichten.ch)
Umweltnetz Schweiz (2023): The bird with a panoramic view (umweltnetz-schweiz.ch)
Saldo (2021): Threatened birds, cleared for shooting (saldo.ch)
Naturschutz.ch (2020): JSG: NO to the hunting of endangered species (naturschutz.ch)
NABU NRW: The woodcock, threats and hunting law (nabu.de)
CH-Wildinfo No. 1 (2018): FOEN research project on the woodcock, ARGOS transmitters (wildtier.ch)
Federal Act on Hunting and the Protection of Wild Mammals and Birds (JSG, SR 922.0), version of 1 February 2025 (fedlex.admin.ch)
Animal Welfare Act (TSchG, SR 455)
Bern Convention: Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats

Our Standard

The woodcock is one of the most mysterious birds in Switzerland. Nocturnal, perfectly camouflaged and endowed with the widest field of vision of any bird, it lives hidden in our forests, probing the damp ground with its long bill for earthworms. Anyone who sees it flying over the treetops in its roding display flight, and hears the low croaking and the high-pitched 'puitzing' at dusk, is experiencing one of the last moments of untouched wilderness in Switzerland.

This bird is on the Red List. Its breeding population is small and continues to shrink. It has disappeared from the Central Plateau. The federal government invests hundreds of thousands in researching and supporting it. And yet far more than a thousand woodcocks are shot every year (2024: 2,120; 2025: 1,400), at dusk, with shotguns, tracked down by hunting dogs. Among them are demonstrably Swiss breeding birds, which are actually meant to be supported. No recreational hunter needs a woodcock. There is no damage it causes. There is no conflict between humans and animals. There is only a tradition that is older than the realisation that an endangered species must not be opened up for killing. All German-speaking cantons have already put this realisation into practice. Seven cantons and the federal government are still missing.

The conclusion is clear: the woodcock must be protected throughout Switzerland. Hunting an endangered species is incompatible with the Animal Welfare Act, the Red List and every form of ecological common sense. This dossier is updated continuously whenever new figures, studies or political developments require it.

More on the topic of recreational hunting: In our dossier overview we bring together fact checks, analyses and background reports.