A kestrel was found shot in the Hade Edge area of Huddersfield, Yorkshire on Saturday 18th January 2020. It has been rescued and is currently undergoing treatment at Meltham Wildlife Rescue.
[Photos from West Yorkshire Police Wildlife Crime Officer PC Newsome, on Twitter as @WYP_CNewsome]
Well done to this police wildlife crime officer for getting the news out so quickly. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Police on Tel 101 and quote reference #13200032608.
You have to wonder what sort of moron takes a shot at a kestrel. Sadly it’s not the first – see here, here, here, here and here and it most definitely won’t be the last.
Raptor Persecution UK 
Moron barely covers it, they do because they can and sadly there are folk out there that neither care nor in some cases even know that these birds are protected and eat mice, voles and insects. That some of us care a great deal and the law is on our side probably also passed the sad excuse for a human who did this, upon whom I wish a great deal of painful suffering as it is sadly unlikely they will be caught or punished.
Yes idiots, they deserve to be severely dealt with .
Hade Edge is a village about 9 miles from Huddersfield. I’d be very surprised if any of its residents regard it as ‘an area of Huddersfield’. It is, however, within a mile or so of land managed for grouse. The bird was shot with an airgun but…
A hovering Kestrel must be a very tempting target to the sort of person who could stoop to such a cowardly act. Hopefully someone will know who is responsible and report them. Confiscation of the gun might be the least we could hope for. Maybe we’ll soon get an update with more detail of the injury, progress and type of weapon suspected as having been used. In the meantime, well done WY Police for getting the news out while it was still fresh.