Press article from today’s Oxford Mail:
A police investigation has been launched after five red kites, a raven and a buzzard were discovered dead in a village in Oxfordshire.
The birds were discovered by a family on Sunday, September 17, near the village of Pyrton, on the edge of the Chilterns, who reported them to the RSPB.
All the birds were recovered and x-rayed by a local vet. The x-rays revealed no signs of shot.
However, the birds have now been sent off for toxicology testing by Natural England as part of the Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme (WIIS), to see if the birds have been poisoned.
All birds of prey and ravens are protected by UK law, making it illegal to kill or harm them. Those found to have done so could face six months in jail or an unlimited fine.
Thames Valley Police, Natural England and RSPB are now working together on a joint investigation and are appealing to the public for information.
If you have any information relating to this incident, call Thames Valley Police on 101.
With their six-foot wingspan, red kites are Britain’s third-largest bird of prey and feed mainly on carrion.
If you find a wild bird which you suspect has been illegally killed, contact RSPB Investigations on 01767 680551, email crime@rspb.org.uk or fill in the online form: https://www.rspb.org.uk/our-work/our-positions-and-campaigns/positions/wildbirdslaw/reportform.aspx
ENDS
Four months after discovery and still no toxicology report?
UPDATE 31 Dec 2018: This incident has now been reported in the WIIS database as follows:
‘7 birds were found under a bridge caught in netting or barbed wire. Analysis has confirmed a residue of bromadiolone which may have contributed to the death of a red kite. Case closed as unable to determine where the exposure occurred‘.
Raptor Persecution UK 
Why is it taking so long its January 2018 now and these birds were found in Sept 2017? Someone needs a good kick up the backside. Like verybody I am becoming sick and tired of all the excuses.
Ditto – who on here can accurately remember where they were mid September? Not me! FOUR months would be a joke but it ain’t funny. And the toxicology tests have not been done yet? And we wonder why this aspect of wildlife crime has a negligible success rate. If I was Sir Humphrey Pumpernickle’s gamekeeper, I’d be pi$$ing myself on a daily basis at these all-too-common, pathetic investigative standards.
Natural England is an embarrassment and should be replaced.
Dreadful lack of interest.
It’s ok I know how to resolve this conflict, we need to remove the eggs from any pairs nesting within 10km of another nesting pair ………… from my new book on how not to solve the issues of wildlife crime.
How long will it be before someone claims that they were all killed by ‘activists’ who then “planted” them to discredit the shooting community?
It happens…
Just goes to show that the problem is national – not confined to the uplands of northern England and Scotland: wherever there are shooters, pigeon fanciers and gamekeepers there are dead birds of prey.
This is not just a crime, but a massacre. Why has it taken four months for this to be reported ?
4 months down the line and no toxicology report! They need hounding! It’s disgracefull!
Typical apathy, these birds were deliberately killed and left there and as is usual not one conviction will be made.
” a few bad apples”
Absolute nonsense. This is a national problem and happening throughout an under regulated industry.
I would be very interested as to what if any investigation actually took place.
Given that it is accepted that partnership working increases the chances of detection that at the very least RSPB would have been involved.
Given the present situation, that public opinion is gradually changing. Recent statements re. “brood meddling” and position changes, slight though they may appear to be, from RSPB and NT, will be affecting the “opposition”. The driven grouse fraternity and their lobbyists will continue the fight and may even be on a PR exercise that will include influencing the shop floor of the industry into changing their ways. Many will be influenced in the suggested direction – others however, will react negatively to messages from on high – and that may be exactly what we are seeing now in this type of incident. There will be tied and former employees who just cannot break the habits of a lifetime and who will continue to exert their psychopathy on raptors and predatory mammals, as routine. That, of course, may be to the embarrassment and consternation of landowners and managers. The difference now, for them, is that they are now in a position, if they really want to turn things round, to come forward with their suspicions for this to be stamped out.
So even as progress is made, there will inevitably be uncontrolled individuals at work. These individuals may not have been direct employees and in the past may not have been discouraged from carrying out mutually acceptable practises – that has to change.