Derbyshire Constabulary has issued an appeal for information (27 September 2026) following the discovery of a shot Red Kite in the Peak District National Park on or before 7th July 2026.
RURAL CRIME APPEAL – RED KITE SHOT
We are appealing for information following the discovery of an injured Red Kite in the Buxton and Combs area.
WHEN: Before or on Tuesday 7th July
WHERE: Above Buxton and below Combs – mapping coordinates were 53.293834, -1.940895
An injured Red Kite was brought to a local veterinary practice after being found by a member of the public. When initially assessed by vets, the kite was in shock and appeared to be playing dead. There was swelling and bleeding around the injured area of its wing.
Following X-rays, it was sadly discovered that the kite had pellets embedded in its left wing, indicating that it had been shot. Despite receiving veterinary treatment, the kite sadly passed away.
X-Rays and wound photos via Derbyshire Constabulary:
WE ARE APPEALING FOR INFORMATION
We appreciate that the information available at this stage is limited, including the exact time the incident occurred. However, any information could be important.
Were you in the area around Buxton, Combs or the surrounding countryside around this time?
Did you see anything unusual or suspicious?
Did you see any vehicles or people in the area that may have been relevant?
Even if you are unsure whether the information you have is relevant, please get in touch. Something that may seem insignificant could assist with our enquiries.
If you have any information, please quote 26*431851 and report by calling 101.
ENDS
My commentary:
Given the extent of what looks like a traumatic fracture of the ulna, shown in the two X-rays, I’d say it would seem unlikely that this Red Kite would have been capable of flying a long distance from where it was shot.
Yet another raptor persecution victim, in an area where gamebird shooting is prominent and in a so-called National Park well known for crimes against birds of prey.
An important scientific paper published in the journal British Birds in 2018 demonstrated the association of land managed for driven grouse shooting in the Dark Peak with the persecution of birds of prey, notably Peregrines and Goshawks, between 1995 – 2015.
Since then, there have been many raptor (and Raven) persecution crimes in the Peak District National Park, most involving shooting or poisoning (e.g. see here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here).
Apart from the conviction of a gamekeeper in 2011 (which was later upheld after an appeal in 2012), I can’t recall any subsequent convictions for raptor persecution crimes committed in the Peak District National Park over the subsequent 15 years.
Not only is police enforcement failing, but long-term attempts at so-called ‘partnership-working’ was also an abject failure, with the Peak District Bird of Prey Initiative collapsing after 12 years of consistently failing to meet its targets because raptor persecution was so rampant.
The only effective measure that I’ve seen was from the National Trust, who withdrew two grouse shoot tenancies on its moorlands in the National Park after seeing evidence of suspected (here) and confirmed (here) wildlife crime.
I’ll be making this point in my submission to Defra’s Call for Evidence on gamebird shooting.
