In 1844, the French rural code forbade nocturnal hunting, but in the year 2000, shooting birds at night became once again legal and in 2003, the Alsace region allowed the nocturnal shooting of boars. It is a known fact that at night, it is not possible for hunters to identify bird species, so any kind of bird can be shot. A study conducted by the ONCFS (now OFB) and Natural History Museum showed that in 20% of cases birds could not be identified.
This practice is also a great cause of disturbance for surviving birds in terms of their biological cycle of feeding and resting. It makes it impossible for them to settle, rest and eat, which is absolutely necessary during migration periods, let alone daily routines.
Controls are non-existent, accidents are likely to occur and this type of hunting is illegal in Europe according to article 8 of the directive 79/409/CEE as it is non-selective. Despite all this, it is allowed in France.
France is the only European country, wherein nocturnal hunts equate to being able to hunt birds 24/7 for over half of the year.
CoRAC 