RSPB press release (24 July 2025)
Chicks fledge with RSPB support after suspicious loss of parent Hen Harriers.
- In May 2025, over a period of eight days, four breeding male Hen Harriers suspiciously disappeared from their nests in northern England – two from RSPB Geltsdale Nature Reserve in Cumbria, and a further two from the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire.
- The disappearances point to yet more illegal killing, which is the main factor limiting the recovery of this rare, red-listed species in the UK.
- A quick response by reserve staff and volunteers has resulted in the successful fledging of five Hen Harrier chicks from two of these nests.
Against the odds, five healthy Hen Harrier chicks have now successfully fledged from two nests in Northern England, following the suspected illegal killing of the male parent birds. Two of the nests failed at incubation stage but RSPB staff and volunteers quickly responded to the nests that had youngsters, providing periods of emergency supplementary food, under licence, to the females in a determined effort to save their chicks. In addition to providing food, staff and volunteers ensured the nests were closely monitored.
(photo RSPB)
Chris Hind, a volunteer at Geltsdale RSPB Reserve ‘’We were incredibly hopeful that our efforts would pay off, but nothing was guaranteed. To see these birds take to the sky after weeks of tough work is fantastic but, as with all Hen Harriers in the UK, these birds face an uncertain future.”
Sadly, the disappearance of the four males fits a pattern and since 2020 a total of eight breeding males have disappeared whilst foraging away from the Geltsdale reserve. In 2023 a satellite-tagged male, known as Dagda, was found shot dead on neighbouring moorland [Ed: see here for Channel 4 News report]. It is highly unusual for a male to naturally desert its nest, and the loss of a male usually has a devastating impact on their breeding success with the female abandoning their nest.
In Bowland, one of the disappearing birds was a satellite tagged individual known as Dynamo, his tag suddenly stopped transmitting with no sign of malfunction. The tag data showed that over the previous 10 days he had remained within six kilometres of the nest but often travelled off the RSPB monitored land to forage. The sudden and suspicious disappearance of satellite tagged Hen Harriers are synonymous with suspected and confirmed incidents of illegal persecution. If birds die naturally, satellite tags still transmit data and are recoverable. Despite a land search at the last point of transmission no body or tag was recovered. Dynamo is the 115th satellite tagged Hen Harrier to have suddenly disappeared in the UK since 2010.
Lancashire and Cumbria Police launched investigations, however, to date no charges have been brought.
A recent RSPB report (Hen Harriers in the firing line) revealed that between 2020 and 2024, 102 confirmed and suspected incidents of Hen Harrier persecution were recorded in the UK, with most of these incidents taking place on or near land managed for grouse shooting. 89% of these incidents were recorded in Northern England.
To effectively prevent these crimes the RSPB is calling for greater regulation of the grouse shooting in England through the introduction of a robust licensing system. Only through this balanced and proportionate approach can a meaningful deterrent to those committing these crimes be introduced. This legislation was introduced in Scotland in 2024, under the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act, whereby estates which are suspected of killing birds of prey may lose their licence to shoot grouse. This legislation has been well received by many within the industry in Scotland, as this legislation only penalises those who deliberately commit these crimes.
Mark Thomas, RSPB Head of Investigations UK: “Sadly, these four missing Hen Harriers are just the latest in a long line of identical incidents recorded over decades and demonstrates the catastrophic knock-on effect to the breeding success and recovery of this species.
‘Those killing Hen Harriers to do so with little or no fear of recrimination. Now is the time for the Westminster government to act on licensing this industry, if it is truly serious about the conservation of this amazing species.’
If you have any information relating to these crimes contact police on 101 and fill in the RSPB’s online reporting form: https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/wild-bird-crime-report-form/
If you wish to contact us anonymously, call the RSPB’s confidential Raptor Crime Hotline on 0300 999 0101.
ENDS
There’s so much to unpack in this press release. I’ll need to write a number of follow-up blogs to address the issues, that will include:
- Why Cumbria Police didn’t issue a press release or an appeal for information following the disappearance of the two adult males from Geltsdale (the RSPB told us about them in May – here);
- Why Lancashire Police didn’t issue a press release or an appeal for information following the disappearance of the two adult males from Bowland;
- Why the landowner, United Utilities, didn’t issue a press release or an appeal for information following the disappearance of the two adult males from Bowland;
- Why the Hen Harrier Taskforce didn’t issue a statement about these four missing Hen Harriers;
- Why a number of other police forces haven’t issued a press release or an appeal for information, and the HH Taskforce hasn’t issued a statement, about any of the other recently (i.e. in last few months) confirmed persecuted and ‘missing’ Hen Harriers that are still to be reported publicly;
- Why Defra Minister Daniel Zeichner didn’t mention any of these four ‘missing’ Hen Harriers (or any of the others known to have been killed and/or known to have ‘disappeared’ in suspicious circumstances in the last few months), when he was giving the government’s response on 30 June at the Westminster Hall debate on Wild Justice’s petition calling for a ban on driven grouse shooting.
I’ll come back to these issues, and more, shortly…
Meanwhile, well done to the RSPB staff and volunteers who have worked tirelessly to enable these Hen Harriers to fledge, and well done to the RSPB for telling the world about the suspicious disappearances of the four adult males.
UPDATE 24 July 2025: 143 Hen Harriers confirmed ‘missing’ or illegally killed in UK since 2018, most of them on or close to grouse moors (here).
Raptor Persecution UK 
Daniel is a total waste of oxygen. He’s my local MP and frankly the sooner this government of lying deceitful toads is gone or brought down by their own actions the better for everyone who loves and cares about their homeland.
Country Born and Bred. Did Daniel Zeichner know of the missing Hen Harriers and deliberately fail to mention them? Because if so, that would be deceitful. Perhaps you can help Ruth in her investigations? I look forward to reading the follow-up blogs from Ruth.
Curiouser and curiouser. A conspiracy theorist would have a field day with this one.
Thank you, Ruth, for your list of questions. It makes my blood boil:-(
On the RSPB Press Release, one further point:
“This legislation has been well received by many within the industry in Scotland…”
Really? Many within the grouse shooting industry? Well received??
https://www.gwct.org.uk/blogs/news/2024/march/the-wildlife-management-muirburn-(scotland)-bill-reflections-on-policy-and-politics/
“We argued that a heavy-handed licensing process could risk, at worst, abandonment of upland management or at the least, inappropriate changes in land use without adequate research”
https://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/scotlands-new-laws-regulating-grouse-moors-condemned-as-holyrood-passes-wildlife-management-and-muirburn-bill-4564823
“Scotland’s controversial new laws regulating grouse moors will cause a “seismic change” in the way shooting estates are run and have a “ruinous” effect on the country’s wildlife and rural economy, according to opponents of the legislation.“
“However, the shooting industry has blasted the regulations.”
“British Association for Shooting and Conservation director for Scotland Peter Clark said: “We believe the final draft still poses a risk to sustainable grouse moor management, predator control and muirburn and will be ruinous to the rural economy and the species that gamekeepers work to protect.””
Alex Hogg, chairman of the Scottish Gamekeepers Association, voiced specific concerns.
“We have deep fears for the future of red-listed species because of the snaring ban,” he said.
“Scottish Tory rural affairs spokeswoman Rachael Hamilton described the legislation as “conceptually flawed”, and said it reflected the “derision the government has for rural Scotland”.”
That doesn’t sound ‘well-received’ by an ‘industry’ to me. Are the RSPB being deliberately delusional for PR purposes?
But it was certainly ‘well received’ by its Parliamentary proponents..
https://www.pressreader.com/uk/the-scotsman/20240322/281758454281598?srsltid=AfmBOopbOoCQVS-FGTa0QdbqGoF2PdI0bccqvF1Ya9lo7tQH_vmPOLvY
“This bill is a significant step in our wider journey to ensure Scotland’s environment is managed sustainably” – Agriculture Minister Jim Fairly.
Ariane Burgess, Rural Affairs spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, said it marked “a momentous step forward for our landscapes and nature”.
But we have yet to see how much of that actually happens.
Here we go again birds are dying of bird flu across the country yet again the raptor lobby throwing accusations with no evidence.
I breed schedule 3 and 4 birds so am neutral but we aviculturalists know bird flu is killing across the board.
Hen harriers kill plenty of feral pigeons and wood pigeons also canker is rampant this season. Try getting your facts and evidence typical of the likes of Mark Avery and Ruth Tingay if he told it was daylight I’d have to go out and check. They
The drive-by troll strikes again…
“Here we go again birds are dying of bird flu across the country yet again the raptor lobby throwing accusations with no evidence.”
Liar: the police provide the evidence behind every recovered body. Of course, criminals famously do not ‘accept’ police evidence, do they Sherlock?
“we aviculturalists know bird flu is killing across the board.” So, where is your evidence which contradicts the Government’s evidence on Hen Harrier deaths from avian flu?
And you still cannot explain what happens to the satellite transmitters?
This (and previous bizarre comments from Mr “holmes”) begs the question…
Just who the hell does he think he’s kidding?
Is he…
That’s not even including foxes killing the Hen harriers 60% of hen harriers are killed by foxes and most are never located because the foxes either bury the dead birds or eat them and damage the tracker by chewing it. I would like to know what the weather was like when they went missing & the time of day of the last ping. I remember a hen harrier going missing near where I live, it was a very wet spell & the harrier was finally found by the guy working for the RSPB it had been killed at roost by a fox which after peeing on it left it where it was killed. The RSPB guy was the one who told me that 60% of Hen harriers are killed by foxes & that they are the true biggest threat to Hen Harriers recovery….
“I would like to know what the weather was like when they went missing & the time of day of the last ping… The RSPB guy was the one who told me that 60% of Hen harriers are killed by foxes & that they are the true biggest threat to Hen Harriers recovery….”
I bet this “RSPB guy” also told you that foxes eat the satellite transmitters, batteries and all, as well as the harnesses… and that is why all these satellite-tagged Hen Harriers just ‘vanish without trace’ and that neither bird nor transmitter are ever seen again… even after using sniffer dogs to find them?
I wonder why the RSPB have never published this “RSPB guy’s” figures?
“60% of hen harriers are killed by foxes”…claims Dave.
Where, when, and at what age? Let’s see the detail, in the form of a link to the peer-reviewed, published study on which he bases his statement.
We all know that Foxes are a significant predator of HH nests, but we also know that this has nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that the vast majority of tagged adult birds disappear on or near to keepered moors, where Foxes, and other terrestrial predators are almost completely eradicated. Furthermore: Nest success has been shown to be higher on unkeepered moors than on keepered ones. And let’s not forget that the species does perfectly well in other parts of their range, in the complete absence of predator control, and has done so for millennia.
Finally, we’re also well aware that the mainland UK HH population began to recover in the post war period, when gamekeeper numbers (and therefore, their activities) were significantly reduced.
The facts can’t be hidden/ignored, no matter how much one tries to muddy the waters.
While we’re at it…
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320723001738#f0010
It was entirely predictable that someone like you would come out with this absolute drivel. You clearly know nothing much about Hen Harriers. Every carcass recovered is tested for cause of death and the commonest cause of death is lead poisoning or pesticide poisoning.
You want to hide the crimes against Hen Harriers under a pile of bodies from a completely different cause. What you are forgetting is that the origins of both tragedies are of human origin, the difference being that the slaughter of Hen Harriers is a crime, carried by criminals and supported by people like you, trying to pretend that it isn’t happening.
Well said.
Thank you
Well done and thank you to Chris and all of the volunteers past and present at Geltsdale. The good guys are seriously outgunned (in every sense, not just the literal one) in the “boots on the ground” war by the “opposition” in the Slaggyford area. The other side number close to a dozen dedicated, well motivated, well equipped predominantly young men who are unswerving in their intent on snuffing out Harriers completely in this area by hook or by crook. This has all been going on at this heightened level since 1994 at my reckoning (although I might be a year out), and the nature of what is/has gone on is so blatantly obvious that it makes a mockery of conceiving that anybody from “the authorities” actually gives a flying f–k. The only way to make sense of the whole situation around Slaggyford is to inevitably conclude that the “boots on the ground” have had (and depressingly perhaps continue to have!) very effective top-cover within the corridors of power. If there was ever a fundraiser to help specifically in this particular area I would happily chip in and I am sure others would too.
Any practical advice on the role a layman can play in helping to bring about effective protection of these and all other raptors please? It’s a national disgrace that the interests of a privileged few and their so-called “sport” are put above the interests of these majestic birds.
“Any practical advice on the role a layman can play in helping to bring about effective protection of these and all other raptors please?”
Yes: publicity – via social media. Get yourself accounts on Twitter/X and Bluesky, possibly Facebook, Reddit and LinkedIn.
Find your local MP’s Twitter/X and Bluesky ‘Handles’, and the handles for whatever political party you’d maybe like to influence/irritate…
Then use Ruth’s ‘Share this’ buttons (at the bottom of each article), and add your MP’s etc handles…
That will send these articles to your MP etc (I pick which article to send… that is up to you, but I send the ‘big’ ones.)
Also ‘Share’ these articles on Facebook, Reddit and LInkedIn… Whoever ‘follows’ you will get them…
That is very easy to do. You might even be able to add a local newspaper/broadcaster or two at times…
Maybe, occasionally, send an email to you MP… A bit more effort.
There are also other campaigners/campaigning organisations: the League Against Cruel Sports, Mark Avery, Protect the Wild, Wildlife and Countryside Link, Revive…
Become an RSPB campaign champion… see https://www.rspb.org.uk/helping-nature/what-you-can-do/your-guide-to-campaigning
You will inevitably eventually see stuff taken from Ruth’s blog….
Hello Nigel.
I’d suggest that being able to refute the lies issued by vested interests with solid, published fact is always useful. I hope the following are of help….
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-09044-w
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00063657.2018.1476462
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006320723001738#f0010
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.8744
https://www.jstor.org/stable/2405296?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/5029/1/Birds_of_prey.pdf
https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2664.1999.00419.x/ful
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S000632070300363X
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ibi.12356
https://www.nature.scot/doc/naturescot-commissioned-report-982-analyses-fates-satellite-tracked-golden-eagles-scotland
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/hen-harrier-satellite-tracking-programme-results-published
https://www.leeds.ac.uk/news/article/3597/grouse_moor_burning_causes_widespread_environmental_changes
https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1365-2664.13708
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311356743_Hen_Harrier_Circus_cyaneus_population_trends_in_relation_to_wind_farms
https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1365-2664.13235
As I have suggested before these sickos probably get an extra buzz from killing the HH’s that they know nest on RSPB land. There is a small minority of “country people” who just hate the RSPB.
Great comments from most of you except Dave you dunce and of course the loveable Stephen Holmes have you ever thought of a job as comedians you make my sides split.Well said Simon Tucker. Sad and awful reading for those of you who care so deeply good stuff Ruth keep on fighting.