Author: RaptorPersecutionUK

Record year for hen Harriers at RSPB’s Geltsdale Reserve in Cumbria

Press release from RSPB, 18 September 2026:

CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM AS RECORD YEAR FOR HEN HARRIER CHICKS AT RSPB GELTSDALE

Thirteen Hen Harrier chicks have successfully fledged at RSPB Geltsdale in Cumbria. The remarkable achievement marks the highest number of Hen Harrier chicks to fledge at the nature reserve in a single breeding season since records began more than a century ago. It reflects the dedication of reserve staff and volunteers, who worked tirelessly to protect nesting birds and support the adults as they raised their young.

Hen Harrier chicks at Geltsdale. Photo by Jim Harvey

The success offers hope for the species’ recovery, but illegal persecution remains a major threat for this spectacular bird of prey. Once hunted to extinction as a breeding bird in England by 1900, Hen Harriers returned to the north Pennines in the 1950s. However, the illegal killing of these amazing birds, that are celebrated for their sky dancing, has continued and to this day they still are only found at a handful of sites in England.  

Despite this year’s success, illegal persecution continues to limit the recovery of Hen Harriers in England. This year at Geltsdale, staff set up Natural England-licensed diversionary feeding stations. This well-established technique is used to minimise the adults preying on grouse on neighbouring shooting estates when they are feeding their young. Staff also actively monitored the nesting sites day and night to minimise disturbance, working around the clock.  

Celebrating the news, Ian Ryding, reserve manager at RSPB Geltsdale said: 

“Hen Harriers are amazing birds, their sky dancing as the male passes food to the female is a spectacular sight everyone visiting the Cumbria should have the chance to see. But sadly, even as we celebrate this amazing success that should be giving us hope for the future of a Red-listed species, there is the spectre that these birds will soon be targeted by those who think nothing of killing our wildlife when it threatens their profits. 

“By supporting both parents we have seen three nests thrive and 13 chicks fledge, the most for at least a century in this part of the world. We hope to see these chicks return in future years to raise their own families, but unfortunately we fear that for that to happen we will need to see more done to stop the illegal killing of these special birds“.

According to Government estimates, England’s uplands have the capacity to support at least 300 pairs of Hen Harriers. Yet the species remains on the UK Red List and far below its potential population size.  

Evidence gathered over many years continues to show that illegal persecution is one of the principal barriers to recovery, with many birds disappearing in and around areas managed for grouse shooting. The RSPB is therefore calling for the introduction of licensing for gamebird shooting across the UK.  

A licensing system, similar to that introduced for grouse moor management in Scotland in 2024, would be a proportionate and cost-effective measure aimed at deterring wildlife crime and helping to secure a future for Hen Harriers. Without further action, conservation successes such as this year’s record breeding season at RSPB Geltsdale risk remaining the exception rather than becoming the norm.  

This year’s success at RSPB Geltsdale is an amazing and much needed success for Hen Harriers, and a credit to the hard work of the people involved in helping these birds get the best possible start to life. A number of the chicks have already been tagged so their progress can be tracked as they set out into the world.  

Ian Ryding concluded: “For now, thirteen young Hen Harriers taking to the skies above Geltsdale is a reason to celebrate. The challenge is ensuring they survive long enough to return and raise families of their own“.

ENDS

Great news from the RSPB’s Geltsdale Reserve, and yet more evidence that Hen Harriers can do really well on RSPB-managed moorland (see this year’s success at Bowland this year, here), especially when they’re encouraged not to hunt on nearby grouse moors, where there’s a long history of hunting males ‘disappearing’ (e.g. at Geltsdale: 1 x hunting male in 2020, 2 x hunting males in 2021, 2 x hunting males in 2023, 2 x hunting males in 2025, see here, here, and here) or being found dead with gunshot injuries (e.g. 1 x hunting male in 2023, here).

Funnily enough, I’ve yet to see any evidence of record Hen Harrier breeding success on English grouse moors this year, despite the repeated claims by shooters on social media that ‘Hen Harriers do better on grouse moors than on RSPB-managed moors‘.

The evidence just doesn’t support that myth – e.g. see here for last year’s report from Natural England, where perhaps 3 of 39 Hen Harrier breeding attempts were on privately-owned grouse moors. Natural England has not yet published the figures for this year’s Hen Harrier breeding attempts.

I’m afraid I don’t agree with the RSPB’s call for gamebird licensing. It isn’t working in Scotland, where grouse shoot licensing was introduced in 2024 and yet the illegal killing of birds of prey continues without significant consequence, so there’s no reason to believe that licensing would work in England. Athough licensing would definitely be better than maintaining the status quo, I just don’t see it as a long-term solution.

Defra’s current Call for Evidence on all aspects of gamebird rearing, releasing and shooting in England, which will be used to inform future policy in this area, is very welcome. More on that next week.

Police Scotland appeals for information after Red Kite caught in illegal trap in Strathdon, Aberdeenshire

Appeal for information issued by Police Scotland, 15 September 2026:

APPEAL AFTER RED KITE CAUGHT IN ILLEGAL TRAP – STRATHDON, ABERDEENSHIRE

Officers are appealing for information after a bird of prey was caught in an illegally set ‘Duke’ coil spring trap in May, 2026 in the Strathdon area of Aberdeenshire.

The trap set is not approved for use in Scotland.

Photo from Police Scotland

Extensive enquiries have been carried out, and we are now appealing to the public for information.

Constable Ann Ashman said: “Red kites are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, and it is illegal to take, injure or kill a protected species.

“Trapping a bird or animal is not only cruel, but it can also harm other wildlife and members of the public.

“Enquiries are ongoing and we are appealing to anyone with information on the incident, or the use of this particular Duke coil spring trap in the area, to contact us.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101 quoting incident 1053 of 18 May, 2026. Alternatively, you can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where information can be given anonymously.

ENDS

This appeal for information is pretty scant on details, although it’s helpful that Police Scotland provided a photo of the trap, which is a leg-hold trap with the same function as a gin trap, with which most readers will be familiar.

There’s no information about the circumstances of the discovery of the trapped Red Kite, nor of its fate. And it’s not clear why it’s taken four months for the appeal for information to be issued, although Police Scotland does say ‘extensive enquiries’ have been carried out.

The location is also quite vague – Strathdon sits on the edge of the north-east side of the Cairngorms National Park.

Blog readers will be familiar with the name – it has featured with regularity on this blog over many years, most recently after the collapse of a criminal trial against two local gamekeepers who had been accused of shooting Red Kites in the area.

The Strathdon area is a well-documented raptor persecution hotspot, where gamebird shooting (Red Grouse & Pheasants and Red-legged Partridges) is prominent. The continued persecution of birds of prey in this area is providing plenty of evidence to demonstrate that grouse shoot licensing is not effective as a deterrent.

Senedd Environment Committee asked to restrict eagle-killing poisons

Press release from Wildlife Poisoning Research UK (WPRUK), 7 September 2026:

THE KILLING MUST STOP! SENEDD ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE ASKED TO RESTRICT EAGLE-KILLING POISONS

Following on from the public outcry when it was revealed that sea eagles in Britain were being poisoned by toxic rat poisons, the research group WPRUK has called on the Senedd’s Environment Committee to push for tighter  restrictions on the use of these poisons.

Juvenile White-tailed Eagle (Photo by Pete Walkden)

Currently anyone can go into a shop or use the internet to buy amateur use poisons with no questions asked, no training required and no need to follow any safety codes.  There is also a complete lack of any meaningful investigation scheme when these poisons kill wildlife.

These toxins, known as Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides or SGARs, enter the food chain when birds of prey and other predators eat poisoned rats, the victims dying from what is called ‘secondary poisoning’, the  persistent chemicals being concentrated in rat livers.

A risk assessment in 2012 concluded that these SGAR toxins should not be used outdoors due to this secondary poisoning risk.  However, the UK Government ignored this and allowed the chemical companies to keep selling the toxins to both professional users (farmers and pest controllers) and any householder wishing to get rid of unwanted rodents.  Even more alarming, the Government relaxed the regulations on where the highest toxicity poisons could be used, allowing these to be used outdoors for the first time.  The Welsh Government followed Westminster’s lead and allowed an environmental catastrophe to unfold.

The continued unrestrained use of these chemicals was permitted on the condition that the chemical industry improved the manner in which they were used.  This was enshrined in what became known as the ‘Rodenticide Stewardship Scheme’ or RSS.  This scheme was meant to achieve a ‘significant reduction’ in poison exposure in wildlife.

There have now been numerous scientific studies investigating poison levels in wildlife.  Not one of these has found a reduction in poison exposure in any of the species studied.  Clearly the chemical industry has totally failed to protect the environment.  So far, the Welsh and Westminster Governments have taken no meaningful action to address this, while the chemical companies continue to make profits from selling the poisons.

Not only has the chemical industry failed to reduce toxins in the environment but there is now new evidence showing these levels are soaring up.  WPRUK collects data on buzzards and other wildlife in Wales and England.  In one of the biggest studies so far, it was found that during 2020 to 2024 over 60 % of buzzards tested had SGAR poison levels above the point at which the birds start to die.  Over the last 20 years, the level of exposure to one the most toxic SGARs, Brodifacoum, has soared by 1,026 %.

WPRUK is now calling for tighter controls on how these poisons are used in Wales, submitting a detailed report to the Senedd’s Environment Committee.  The group is calling for a ban on the sale of these poisons to the general public and for their use by professional users to be limited to indoor areas only, so that wildlife will not be exposed to the toxins by secondary poisoning.

In submitting the paper to the Committee, Dr Ed Blane from WPRUK said: “The killing of our threatened wildlife by these poisons has to stop and the Welsh Government now has the powers to achieve this.  So far it appears that our leaders in Cardiff have just ignored this growing environmental disaster  and are just complying with Westminster regulations despite the harm that this is doing to our wildlife in Wales.

“Politicians in London maintain that these deadly SGAR toxins are still available to anyone to buy as there are no other alternative products available to control rats.  This is simply not true as there are now other products available which do not cause this secondary damage to wildlife.  It appears that Government policy is more concerned about the profits of chemical companies than safeguarding wildlife.

“Wales has led the way in the UK with positive action to protect wildlife such as banning snares and glue traps.  Now it is time for the Welsh Government to take action to control these indiscriminate poisons.  Iconic species such as eagles must be protected from the threat of secondary poisoning, too many of these majestic birds have died already.  WPRUK is calling on the Senedd’s Environment Committee to support this campaign to safeguard our wildlife“.

ENDS

Satellite-tagged Montagu’s Harrier killed in train collision

Last month the RSPB announced the successful fledging of six red-listed Montagu’s Harrier chicks from two nests at a secret location in England (see here).

The UK’s rarest breeding bird of prey, this year’s breeding success was down to excellent partnership working between farmers, birdwatchers and the RSPB.

Two of the six young harriers were fitted with state-of-the-art satellite tags to monitor their 7,000 mile migration journey to West Africa. These were two females named ‘HV’ and ‘FH’.

Sadly, ‘FH’ has already met an untimely end.

Juvenile female FH (photo via RSPB)

An update posted on the RSPB’s Meet the Montagu’s Harriers web page on 3 September 2026 reads as follows:

HV continues to make great progress and has now passed through Luxembourg and is just inside France! Will she continue south and avoid the Alps?

However, we also have some terrible news from FH. We were initially worried by a cold tag temperature, as this indicated that she was probably dead. But the data also suggested that she was rapidly moving between two locations around 30 miles part. Looking into it showed that these locations match those of a west to east railway line and, with the help of the staff, we have now located her body.

Sadly, FH had been struck by a train and carried along the route. The tag was still in perfect working order enabling us to locate and recover her body. This is a terrible shock for the team and just highlights the unpredictability of working with this species.

To follow HV’s journey, see the RSPB’s Monty’s web page, here.

FoI reveals some inconsistencies in Invermark Estate’s claims about shot Peregrine

Last month, NatureScot imposed a three-year General Licence restriction on part of Invermark Estate in the Angus Glens, in relation to the discovery of a shot Peregrine that was found on 3 September 2024. The Peregrine’s gunshot injuries were severe and it later had to be euthanised. Nobody has been charged or prosecuted in relation to this crime.

A statement attributed to Invermark Estate was published as part of an article in The Courier on 7 August 2026, the day the three-year General Licence restriction was announced. The statement read as follows:

The General Licence restriction was suspended two weeks after it was imposed as Invermark Estate had decided to make a formal appeal to NatureScot against the restriction. That appeal is currently ongoing.

When I wrote about that appeal, and published Invermark’s statement, I said it contained some interesting claims and that I intended to return to it in a future blog.

The first point of interest in Invermark Estate’s statement was the revelation that the shot Peregrine had been found “in the garden of a cottage“. This information was not previously available in the public domain.

The reason this information is of interest is because it allows us to pinpoint the location. It was already known that the General Licence restriction was imposed on tenanted land associated with Dalbrack Farm, as made clear in NatureScot’s restriction notice:

‘In the case of Invermark Estate, the restriction will apply to the Dalbrack Farm area of the estate. NatureScot received robust evidence from Police Scotland in relation to the shooting of a peregrine which was discovered in this area’. 

An examination of several maps shows that there’s only one cottage in this immediate area – Dalbrack Cottage, which neighbours Dalbrack Farm. It’s my understanding that Dalbrack Farm is tenanted, and Dalbrack Cottage is sub-tenanted.

Photo by Andrew Curtis, May 2021, used under Creative Commons Licence and annotated by RPUK

You’ll notice that Invermark Estate’s statement included the following carefully chosen words:

“While Invermark Estate owns the land in question, it does not manage it and there is no sporting activity where the bird was found (in the garden of a cottage)“.

Whilst this statement may be accurate, I would argue that it’s tightly worded and fails to inform the reader that the cottage in question is situated right on the edge of a grouse moor (remember, the Courier readers didn’t have the benefit of seeing a map). It looks to me like a deliberate attempt by Invermark Estate to infer some considerable distance between the estate’s grouse shooting activities and the garden of the cottage, because it fails to mention the proximity of the grouse moor and some of the estate’s grouse butts, which according to maps, are just metres away:

And these are not the only grouse butts in the area, as you can see from this map showing the part of Invermark Estate close to Dalbrack:

Map sourced from Andy Wightman’s Who Owns Scotland website, annotated by RPUK

What this map doesn’t tell us, of course, is whether these grouse butts are still in use; they could have long been decommissioned and are now just historical cartographic relics. This brings me to the second point of interest in Invermark Estate’s statement:

“While grouse shooting does take place on land some distance away, the vet who examined the bird concluded that it could not have flown any distance because of its injuries and that the shooting must have happened close to the locus“.

Unlike Invermark Estate, the general public has not been afforded sight of the post mortem report so we’re having to reply upon Invermark Estate’s claim about what it says. Would it be feasible for the bird to have been shot further up the hill and then it glided down to the cottage garden where it crash landed at the bottom of the hill, without having had to flap its wings? Instead of having to rely upon Invermark Estate’s claim, I’d rather see the PM report for myself so I’ve requested a copy via FoI from NatureScot. If/when it’s released, I’ll post a copy here.

But what I can test is Invermark Estate’s claim that “grouse shooting does take place on land some distance away…“.

The phrase “some distance away” is quite subjective, isn’t it? What does it mean? A few metres, a few kilometres, a few glens away? The inference is that grouse shooting does not take place nearby [to where the Peregrine was found with shotgun injuries].

How interesting, then, to see the map that Dalhousie Estates (owner of Invermark Estate) submitted to NatureScot as part of its application for a grouse shooting licence. I sourced this map via an FoI and have annotated it to show the location where the injured Peregrine was found. It looks pretty clear to me that Invermark Estate’s estimation of “some distance away” is quite different to mine and probably that of most other people!

The third and final point of interest (for now) in Invermark Estate’s statement is this:

“It is difficult to accept this restriction when no allegation has been made that our organisation was responsible for the offence, and equally difficult to see how imposing such a significant restriction upon us can represent a fair or proportionate outcome“.

Invermark Estate has claimed that ‘it doesn’t manage the land in question’ and that “An agricultural tenant and sub-tenant have full control over the land, and that tenancy agreement has been in place for more than ten years“.

It isn’t clear to me whether Invermark Estate is claiming it doesn’t manage the land where the injured Peregrine was found or whether it’s claiming it doesn’t manage ‘the land in question’, which I take to mean the land covered by the General Licence restriction.

If it’s the latter, then why would Invermark Estate be so concerned about what it describes as “such a significant restriction upon us“? How could it be a restriction, significant or otherwise, if Invermark Estate has no involvement with the management of the land under restriction?

If it’s the former, then why didn’t Invermark Estate make it clear in its statement that it manages the land for grouse shooting in immediate proximity to where the injured Peregrine was found?

It’s worth looking again at the area of restriction imposed by NatureScot, and comparing it with Invermark Estate’s grouse shoot licence boundary map.

Here is NatureScot’s map showing the area of General Licence restriction (map annotated by me to show the location of the injured Peregrine):

And here is the General Licence restriction area (purple dotted line – note, this is not precise) overlaid on to Invermark Estate’s grouse shoot licence boundary map, with a black star denoting the location where the injured Peregrine was found:

It’s clear then that the General Licence restriction area overlaps with a considerable chunk of moorland where Invermark Estate has the right to kill or take Red Grouse.

Are we to believe that Invermark Estate “does not manage” the land it owns and where the estate has a licence to shoot Red Grouse?

That would be extraordinary.

I await the outcome of Invermark Estate’s appeal against its General Licence restriction with interest.

Book launch: Prelude to Murder – Revenge Killing on a Highland Estate

Former Tayside Police Wildlife Crime Officer Alan Stewart’s book, co-authored by Lindsey Hamilton, has now been published.

Prelude to Murder: Revenge Killing on a Highland Estate focuses on the trial and subsequent conviction for murder of ex-Edradynate Estate Head Gamekeeper David Campbell, who was recently sentenced to a minimum 19 years in prison for the ambush and execution of former Edradynate Estate groundsman Brian Low, whom Campbell blasted with a shotgun whilst Brian was out walking his dog.

The book also provides commentary on the many wildlife crime investigations at Edradynate Estate during Campbell’s employment, mostly centred on the illegal poisoning and shooting of protected birds of prey, for which nobody was ever convicted.

There’ll be an official book launch at 7pm on Friday 11 September 2026 at Camserney Hall, Aberfeldy, PH15 2JL where the two co-authors will be in conversation with Jim Mackintosh. Entry is free – more details here.

There’ll be another event at 7pm on Thursday 24 September 2026 at Pittenweem New Town Hall, Session Street, KY10 2QL – more details here.

Prelude to Murder is available to buy from the publisher (Thirsty Books) or a signed copy direct from Alan Stewart.

A fascinating two-part documentary about Campbell’s trial and conviction is available on BBC iPlayer for the next 11 months. Murder Trial, Death of a Dog Walker can be watched here.

Defra’s Call for Evidence on all aspects of gamebird rearing, releasing and shooting is now open – this is your opportunity to be heard

Further to yesterday’s blog, Defra’s Call for Evidence on all aspects of gamebird rearing, releasing and shooting is now open, and will close at 23.59hrs on 1st November 2026.

The Call for Evidence covers Red Grouse, Pheasant, Red-legged Partridge and Mallard.

Pheasant (photo by Ronnie Gilbert)

The Call for Evidence is open to anybody, and Defra has stated that it would particularly welcome responses from Gamebird producers, shoot operators, land managers, Veterinary and animal health experts, Environmental, conservation and animal welfare organisations, Local communities and land users, Academics and researchers, and Public bodies and delivery partners.

The Call for Evidence relates to England (because gamebird policy is devolved in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland), but Defra has stated that evidence gathered from outside of England will still be welcome if it is considered relevant.

Defra is separately commissioning an independent assessment of the economic costs/benefits of the gamebird sector so evidence of this nature will not be considered in this particular exercise.

The evidence collected will be used to inform any future decisions related to Government policy on gamebirds, which, if significant, will undoubtedly then be subject to a public consultation.

Everyone should buckle in because this will be a long and drawn-out process (remember it took the Scottish Government almost five years to introduce licensing for grouse shooting, from the time the decision was made to the time the legislation was implemented, and there are still aspects of the legislation that have not yet been put in place).

Nevertheless, it’s a very important first step and those who have spent years, if not decades, campaigning for scrutiny, have finally battered down a door that has been firmly locked and bolted for far too long.

You can read the Call for Evidence document below, and it’s well worth having a look at the extent of the questions. Some of them are specifically aimed at those directly involved with gamebird rearing, release and shooting, but there are plenty of opportunities for others to have their say.

For example, take a look at Question 29: ‘Are there any additional positive or negative impacts [of gamebird release and shooting], not covered above, for example recreational benefits?‘

This question offers a fantastic opportunity for those who are not involved in gamebird releasing and shooting but who still have to suffer the consequences.

For example, restricted access for walkers, disturbance to the quiet enjoyment of people’s gardens, pets being caught, injured or killed in traps associated with the local shoot, personal harassment and intimidation from gamekeepers and shoot owners, including criminal damage to vehicles and property and dead animals dumped in gardens, pets poisoned and killed etc etc.

Quite a few communities have spoken out about these and other issues (e.g. see here, here, here, here and here), and raptor persecution associated with land managed for gamebird shooting has been raised repeatedly as a major concern for residents and visitors to several National Parks (e.g. see here, here, here).

There is plenty of time before the Call for Evidence closes, so there’s no need to rush in to a response straight away. I’m sure there will be guidance for responding offered by several organisations in due course, but for now, please spend some thinking about what evidence you could provide. It’s really important that this opportunity is not missed.

Call_for_Evidence_on_Gamebird_Release,_Shooting_and_Welfare_during_Rearing_in_England_4Sept2026Download

Defra confirms its call for evidence will encompass all aspects of gamebird rearing, release and shooting

Good news!

Further to Wednesday’s blog about an imminent call for evidence by Defra about the welfare aspects of gamebird breeding, and confusion about whether this would also include gamebird releases and licences to shoot, there is now clarification that the evidence review will consider ALL aspects of gamebird rearing, release and shooting.

Defra Minister Sue Hayman (Baroness Hayman of Ullock, Parliamentary Under-Secretary) issued a written statement about it yesterday, as follows:

GAMEBIRD CALL FOR EVIDENCE

As set out in the Land Use Framework and the Animal Welfare Strategy for England, the Government committed to strengthening the evidence base on gamebird rearing, release and shooting in England.

I am today announcing that a Call for Evidence will launch on 4 September 2026 as the next step in delivering that commitment.

Gamebird rearing, release and shooting are established activities within rural land use and management. They can contribute to rural economies and land management, but their environmental, animal health, animal welfare and wider impacts are not yet fully understood. The Call for Evidence will gather information and evidence to improve understanding of both the positive and negative impacts associated with these activities.

The Call for Evidence will consider the rearing of gamebirds, the release of reared birds from captivity, associated shooting and land management activities, and impacts at local, regional and national level. It will seek evidence on biodiversity, protected sites and habitats, biosecurity and disease, bird of prey crime, animal welfare, use of natural resources, and other relevant environmental or social impacts.

Evidence gathered through this exercise will be carefully reviewed, including by independent external reviewers for information on release and shooting. This will support Defra’s understanding of these activities and their impacts and inform any future policy development. No decisions have been taken at this stage on whether to introduce any changes, and any future proposals would be subject to public consultation.

The Call for Evidence will be published on GOV.UK and will be open for responses until 1 November 2026.

ENDS

At the time of writing, the Call for Evidence has not yet been published but is expected later today, so the terms of reference are not yet clear. Defra is hosting a stakeholder webinar this morning to provide further details for those of us likely to participate, and also information about the response process.

I’ll blog more about this when things are clearer.

Update 5 September 2026: Defra’s Call for Evidence on all aspects of gamebird rearing, releasing and shooting is now open – this is your opportunity to be heard (here)

Defra poised to open consultation on welfare implications of mass breeding of gamebirds

The UK Government is poised to open a public consultation on the welfare implications of the mass breeding of gamebirds, according to an article published by The Guardian this afternoon (see here).

This consultation has been anticipated, after the Labour Government included it in its Animal Welfare Strategy which was published in December 2025 (see here).

What isn’t clear, to me anyway, is whether this consultation also includes evidence-gathering for the option of licensing gamebird shooting and releases, which was promised separately in the Government’s Land Use Framework for England, published in March this year (see here).

Today’s article in The Guardian jumps seamlessly between the two issues and gives the impression of a single consultation covering both issues, rather than two separate consultations.

I couldn’t find any notice of a consultation on Defra’s website, so I guess the announcement is imminent and we’ll find out the extent of it when it’s actually published.

I was invited to provide a comment for The Guardian‘s piece today. I told the journalist that yes, there is plenty of evidence documenting the failure of animal welfare considerations for the mass breeding and rearing of gamebirds and it is definitely worthy of attention for the benefit of those individual birds. However, I also pointed out that addressing those welfare concerns was a bit like treating the symptoms but not the cause.

Putting an end to the rearing and annual release in to the countryside of an estimated 60 million non-native game birds for shooting should be the government’s focus. If they stopped that, then the associated welfare issues, as well as the many environmental issues and wildlife crimes associated with the gamebird shooting industry would also be sorted.

The Guardian article can be read here.

UPDATE 4 September 2026: Defra confirms its Call for Evidence will encompass all aspects of gamebird rearing, release and shooting (here)

Update 5 September 2026: Defra’s Call for Evidence on all aspects of gamebird rearing, releasing and shooting is now open – this is your opportunity to be heard (here)

Game dealers say more Red-legged Partridges have been released this year than they can cope with

Today is the official opening day of the Red-legged Partridge (RLP) shooting season in England, Scotland and Wales.

An estimated 10 million RLPs are released into the countryside every year, for shooting. They join an estimated 50 million released Pheasants – although the shooting season for Pheasants doesn’t start until 1 October.

The non-native Red-legged Partridge (photo by Ronnie Gilbert)

The precise number of these non-native Pheasants and RLPs released each year isn’t known – research published recently by Guy Shrubsole demonstrated that shooting estates in England are failing to declare millions of released birds, and research published earlier this year by Wild Justice demonstrated that some shoots are releasing birds unlawfully, under the radar of the authorities.

Someone asked me this morning whether there was any evidence that shoots were releasing fewer birds this year, as a consequence of last year’s Bird Flu outbreak.

Well, according to the shooting press, apparently the opposite is true, at least with regard to RLPs.

Three shooting publications are reporting that game dealers have sent a warning to shoot managers this year, saying that there is a ‘a glut’ of RLPs being released this year; so many in fact that the game dealing trade (the people who process and sell on the shot birds) are concerned that the number of RLPs “go beyond what the trade can handle“.

The estimated number of predicted RLP releases seems to originate from a ‘market briefing note’ recently issued by Guns on Pegs, an online market place for selling shoot days. I haven’t been able to find a copy of that note so can only rely on what the shooting press is saying about the content.

But Shooting Times, Sporting Gun and the Fieldsports Journal are all reporting on the story, with quotes from two prominent individuals from the game dealing industry:

Leon Challis-Davies of the game meat organisation Eat Wild said: “To put it bluntly, shoots have stocked more partridge than usual and there just isn’t the capacity to cater for the volumes we’re expecting unless we all get our act together soon“.

Tristan Kirk of Lincolnshire Game said: “I encourage every estate that supplies partridges to the food industry to speak to their preferred processors as soon as possible, with accurate information about the numbers expected and dates. This allows us to have a forecast for sales or storage requirements until a sale can be found. This is crucial and should be normal practice“.

There’s also commentary about the poor condition of some gamebirds received by dealers, attributed to ‘bad handling’ on the shoot, which means that those gamebirds cannot then be processed for human consumption.

It’s all quite interesting, given the game shooting industry’s mantra (Code of Good Shooting Practice) that:

“Shoot managers must ensure compliance with relevant game meat and food hygiene regulations“

and

“Shoot managers must ensure they have appropriate arrangements in place for the sale or consumption of the anticipated bag in advance of all shoot days“. [Emphasis is mine].

Stand by for piles of shot and dumped or fly-tipped RLPs across the UK this season….

Now, where’s that evidence-gathering exercise on gamebird release and shooting, promised by Defra?