Woodcock are secretive woodland birds that perform spectacular 'roding' display flights. They are legal quarry in the UK and face welfare concerns around shooting and habitat loss.
Woodcock welfare faces two distinct threats: habitat deterioration and shooting pressure. The dense, damp woodland they require for breeding has declined through changing forestry practice - woodcock need a mix of dense cover and open feeding areas. As a legal quarry species, the welfare concern is significant - wounding rates are difficult to assess but potentially high given their erratic flight pattern. A voluntary moratorium on shooting wintering woodcock was introduced in 2021 to protect the resident breeding population, an important welfare-conscious step.