UK waterbird harvest data from social media

We analysed images shared to two UK-based waterbird hunting
groups between 2019 and 2024. From each photo we attempted to assign the
species, age and sex of harvested waterbirds using plumage and bill
characteristics. We used this data to assess the ability to monitor the
age and sex ratios of harvested waterbirds, and also to estimate the
proportions of waterbird species in the national harvest. These
proportions can be used to pro-rata national level estiamates of total
waterbird harvest when the harvests of individual species are not reproted
in countries such as the UK. Our data includes records on the date of
harvest and where possible the species, age and sex of all waterbirds
present in the harvest photos. This data attempts to minimise
externalities such as post-harvest guilt, prestige bias, cultural barriers
– thus being as representative as possible of the structure of the UK
waterbird harvest.