RSPB press release – Rare bird of prey found mutilated as 20 other individuals go missing

Rare bird of prey found mutilated as 20 other individuals go missing

  • One of the UK’s rarest birds of prey, a Hen Harrier, has been found dead with its body mutilated
  • A post-mortem examination concluded that the bird was killed by having its head pulled off whilst still alive.   
  • Twenty more Hen Harriers, including 15 that were part of satellite-tagged tracking projects, have also disappeared across Northern England in 12 months.

One of the UK’s rarest birds of prey, a Hen Harrier, has been found dead and its body mutilated. Twenty other harriers, including 15 birds that were part of satellite-tagged tracking projects, have also disappeared across Northern England in the past year.

Hen Harriers are on the red list of birds of conservation concern in the UK, with the last national survey in 2016 recording 545 pairs in the UK – a decline of 13% since 2010. In England there were 34 successful nests in 2022, despite enough habitat and food to support over 300 pairs. In 2019, the Government’s own study found illegal killing to be the main factor limiting the recovery of the UK Hen Harrier population.

The story began in April 2022 when an RSPB satellite-tagged Hen Harrier named Pegasus vanished whilst on Birkdale – an area of driven grouse moor in the Yorkshire Dales National Park on the North Yorkshire/Cumbria border. This was followed shortly after by the discovery of a dead Hen Harrier in the same area – a Natural England tagged bird called Free. The bird was missing its head and leg, which had held a metal ring for identification. Expert veterinary assessment concluded the bird has been killed through traumatic removal of its head and leg, whilst alive. A month later, another Hen Harrier, NE tagged bird Harvey, vanished in this area. The police carried out a search warrant in connection with the incidents, but the ensuing investigation failed to lead to charges.

However, since the investigation launched the same area has also seen the disappearance of a further four satellite-tagged Hen Harriers (one from a RSPB project and three from a Natural England one) all in this same area managed for driven grouse shooting.

During autumn 2022, two additional RSPB tagged birds vanished in Cumbria and Durham, both on grouse moors.

These nine birds are separate to another seven Natural England satellite-tagged Hen Harriers recorded as missing, fate unknown, over the past year.

Finally, in the past year, five breeding male Hen Harriers have vanished, including two in the Peak District in 2022 and, in April this year, one in Durham and two from the RSPB’s Geltsdale Nature Reserve in Cumbria: both these birds had active nests which have now been abandoned, one containing three eggs. Male harriers are known to hunt away from their nest sites, and this is not the first time that adult male harriers with active nests have vanished from Geltsdale in recent years.

All 21 birds were reported at the time by the RSPB and Natural England to the Police and the National Wildlife Crime Unit.

Commenting on the situation, the RSPB’s conservation director Katie-jo Luxton said, “These 21 birds represent a significant proportion of the existing English Hen Harrier population. The Government’s own study found illegal killing to be the main reason preventing the recovery of this species, and these recent events indicate that the situation has yet to improve for this rare and beautiful bird.

Natural England Strategy Director John Holmes said:  “We are sickened by this evidence of persecution, which remains a serious issue and needs more focus and action from the police, businesses, landowners, and game management interests. Natural England will continue to work with partners on Hen Harrier recovery, and direct our resources towards science, monitoring, enforcement, and conservation management. We will continue all efforts to track down tags that stop transmitting, as our dedicated staff did in the case of Free, and to support the police in their role of bringing the perpetrators of these crimes to justice

ENDS

 

 

Hen Harriers confirmed persecuted or missing, April 2022 – April 2023*

Pegasus April 22 North Yorkshire RSPB Tagged
Free April 22 Cumbria Natural England Tagged
Unnamed male May 22 South Yorkshire Not tagged
Unnamed male May 22 South Yorkshire Not tagged
Harvey May 22 North Yorkshire Natural England Tagged
Unnamed male Aug 22 North Yorkshire Natural England Tagged
Sullis Sept 22 Cumbria RSPB Tagged
Unnamed male Oct 22 North Yorkshire Natural England Tagged
Sia Oct 22 Durham RSPB Tagged
Unnamed female Oct 22 North Yorkshire Natural England Tagged
Unnamed female Dec 22 Cumbria Natural England Tagged
Unnamed female Dec 22 Cumbria Natural England Tagged
Unnamed female Dec 22 North Yorkshire Natural England Tagged
Unnamed male Dec 22 North Yorkshire Natural England Tagged
Unnamed male Mar 23 North Yorkshire Natural England Tagged
Unnamed female Apr 23 North Yorkshire Natural England Tagged
Lagertha Apr 23 North Yorkshire RSPB Tagged
Nicola Apr 23 North Yorkshire Natural England Tagged
Unnamed male Apr 23 Cumbria Not tagged
Unnamed male Apr 23 Cumbria Not tagged
Unnamed male Apr 23 Durham Not tagged

* These totals exclude birds that were recovered in this time period and had post-mortems which indicated natural causes.

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6 Replies to “RSPB press release – Rare bird of prey found mutilated as 20 other individuals go missing”

  1. Could you please ask Tony Juniper what Natural England are going to do about this situation (apart from promoting
    brood meddling)?

  2. “Wildlife crime is a priority issue for the government…action plan…shooting worth gazillions for local economies…no change to the law required…yadda, yadda”

    It is difficult to imagine how bad things would be if wildlife crime was not a priority for the government. How bad do things need to get for them to accept that a different approach is required?

  3. Whatever NE is doing, it’s not enough. Either they have insufficient resources or they have insufficient powers.

    NE works for the British taxpayer. I think we should be told.

    1. No, NE is paid for by the British taxpayer. They work for their lordships up in the manors. There is a difference, and it is why they are so seemingly ineffectual in their on-paper duties. Their real purpose is to be a smokescreen, and occasional meatshield, to allow the nobs to do as they please with the land and its animals. On that score they are very, very effective.

  4. I wonder whose secret jam jar or little biscuit tin that leg ring is sitting in right now? And how many other rings are in it? And what satisfied and approving nods some trusted clique of big men will express to hear one of their number relate the pathetic story of how it was obtained. About how the townie bird brigade, bloody English-Natural-Nature England-Trust, the RS – P – fu**in’ B and that c**t Packham and all the do-gooders have been outwitted once again.
    My hopes are pinned on a change of government ditching brood-meddling and putting that money into a new team of investigators working separate to the NE monitor team, granted open authority to set up cameras, record videos and conduct surveillance on any moor they see fit. No notice or invitation required by owners or their lackeys

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