Bird populations in France have seen significant declines over the past three decades. Between 1989 and 2019, agricultural areas experienced a 29.5% drop in bird numbers, while urban areas saw a 27.6% reduction. Of the 123 common bird species monitored by the National Museum of Natural History, 43 are currently in decline. France permits the hunting of 64 bird species, a record in Europe, with a third of these species in poor conservation status. Despite the European Commission’s 2025 request to suspend or reduce hunting for seven declining species—such as the Mallard, Green-winged Teal, and Corn Bunting—hunting continues. The Little Bittern, for example, has seen its population fall from about 500 breeding pairs in the 1980s to around fifty today, even though about 180,000 individuals are still shot annually. Conservationists argue that hunting adds unnecessary pressure to bird populations already struggling with factors like intensive farming, pesticide use, and habitat loss. Émilienne Grzegorczyk from the Center for Ecology and Conservation Sciences (CESCO) emphasizes the need to identify the main causes of decline and suggests suspending hunting as a quick and effective measure. Benoît Fontaine, a CESCO conservation biologist, compares continuing to hunt declining species to "shooting the ambulance," highlighting the counterproductive nature of such actions. In areas like the Harchies marshes, birds protected in Belgium move to French ponds where they become vulnerable to hunting, leading to significant losses. In 2017, 1,700 birds were recorded the day before the hunting season, with 500 disappearing the next day. This phenomenon, known as the "landscape of fear," causes birds to avoid hunting areas, disrupting their natural distribution and potentially harming their survival. Hunting can also lead to "crippling loss," where birds are injured and die later, a problem that is poorly documented and not fully accounted for in hunting quotas. For some species, this could reach up to 20%. Additionally, the release of millions of farmed birds, such as pheasants and partridges, can negatively impact wild populations by introducing genetic traits that are not well-suited for natural environments. Hunting activities also disturb other species, as gunshots, hunting dogs, and human presence can drive animals away from their habitats. In September 2026, the LPO, a French wildlife protection group, filed a lawsuit after discovering a critically endangered Little Tern in Loire-Atlantique that had been poisoned by lead. Although lead shot has been banned in wetlands since 2023, lead poisoning still affects about a million waterbirds annually in the EU.