Derbyshire Police’s Rural Crime Team has issued an appeal for information after the discovery of a critically-injured Goshawk, which had to be euthanised due to the extent of its injuries.
The injured Goshawk was found by a member of the public near Stanton Hall, Stanton by Dale, in south east Derbyshire on Saturday 31 January 2026. A veterinary examination and x-ray revealed the bird had been shot with a shotgun and sustained a right wing fracture, a left wing fracture and a suspected left ulna fracture near the elbow.
Given these injuries, it is likely the Goshawk wasn’t capable of long distance flight from the location where it was shot.
Photographs via Derbyshire Police Rural Crime Team:
The Police are asking the public whether they saw anyone with a gun in the area, whether gunshots were heard, and whether anyone saw any suspicious behaviour.
Anyone with information is asked to call the police on 101 and quote incident number 26*68719.
Raptor Persecution UK 
Shotguns should be banned, any idiot can fire in the general vicinity of a bird and have a good chance of hitting it, same goes for game shooters
Absolutely appalling! But why wait 26 days to appeal for information, when it seems so clear cut from the injuries that the bird had been shot, and that the nature of the injuries indicate that the bird had not travelled far…. surely this appeal should have been made first on the 31st of January, that might increase the chances of the perpetrator being caught?