The RSPB and West Mercia Police are appealing for information after a dead red kite was discovered in Herefordshire on New Years Eve.
[The shot red kite. Photo from RSPB]
[Wigmore, Herefordshire]
From an RSPB press release, issued 6 March 2020:
A red kite was found dead in a field in Wigmore, Herefordshire on New Years Eve 2019 by a member of the public. The RSPB and West Mercia Police were notified. When the police collected the bird, they noticed a large hole in the bird’s body.
The RSPB arranged for a post-mortem of the bird, and the results concluded that it had been shot, and that ‘shooting with a single projectile is by far the most likely cause’ of death. Witnesses also confirmed they had heard shooting in the area the day before.
ENDS
If anyone has any further information please contact West Mercia Police on 101 or fill in the RSPB’s confidential online reporting form here
[The shot red kite, photo from RSPB]
Raptor Persecution UK 
Isn’t it somewhat late in the day to be appealing for witnesses ?
It does seem a little late considering the bird was shot and we are/were awaiting a toxicology report. Is this the same area of Herefordshire where it has in the past been reported that some foolish/very ignorant folk claimed Kites attacked lambs or is it the usual standard of these birds being illegally killed in an area rife with game shooting ?
West Mercia Police would be the same force that is of interest to those of us who are following foxcubscruelty.com. If you haven’t encountered Richard Barradale-Smith’s description of how the force that he was a member of treated wildlife crime and animal cruelty, it’s well worth a look. If Richard’s accusations are to be believed, and I have no reason to doubt him, it might explain a few things.
The damage that the poor Red Kite was subjected to sounds as if it may have been caused by a rifle rather than a shotgun. If the bird had been shot whilst flying, or perched, the round would have the potential to travel some distance, possibly inflicting serious injury to a member of the public. I trust West Mercia’s firearms people have looked at that scenario and made the relevant enquiries locally. It may have been prudent to warn the public that they have a very dangerous person in their midst sooner rather than later.
Same old same old. Let the trail go cold & only then ask the public for information. Always works