Category: 2025 persecution incidents

Satellite-tagged hen harrier from Tarras Valley Nature Reserve ‘disappears’ on grouse moor in North Pennines

Press release from RSPB (20 February 2025)

SATTELITE-TAGGED HEN HARRIER DISAPPEARS IN SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES

  • The rare bird was being monitored by the RSPB and the sudden failure of the bird’s tag is being treated as suspicious
  • Hen Harriers are on the red list of conservation concern, with illegal killing the key factor limiting their recovery.
  • The RSPB is pressing Westminster to introduce licensing in England for all gamebird shooting, to afford birds of prey greater protection

Durham Police and the RSPB are appealing for information after a protected Hen Harrier disappeared in suspicious circumstances in County Durham in January.

The young female bird hatched on a Scottish nest in 2024 and was named Red by local schoolchildren. Whilst still a chick, Red was fitted with a satellite tag in 2024 as part of an RSPB programme to gather more information about this rare and persecuted species. The tags, fitted when the birds are still in the nest, are worn like tiny rucksacks and continue to transmit even after a bird dies.

Hen harrier ‘Red’ hatched on the Tarras Valley Nature Reserve in 2024

After fledging her nest, Red flew into England and spent the winter in the North Pennines. On 15 January, her tag showed her to be roosting on a grouse moor near Hamsterley Forest. After this, the daily transmissions unexpectedly ceased.

Durham Police carried out a search of the area but found no sign of the bird or the tag.

Another Hen Harrier, Sia, disappeared in similarly suspicious circumstances nearby in 2022 [Ed: see here]. Her tag had also been functioning normally until that point.

The RSPB is urging the government to introduce a licensing scheme for grouse and gamebird shooting, as is now law in Scotland. If criminal activity – such as raptor persecution – is detected on an estate, then this licence can be removed.

Hen Harriers are rare breeding birds and fully protected by law. They are known for their acrobatic ‘skydancing’ courtship display which they perform above upland moors in spring. There were just 25 successful Hen Harrier nests in England 2024, despite a previous independent government report finding that there is enough habitat and food to support over 300 pairs. Illegal killing continues to be the main factor limiting the recovery of the UK Hen Harrier population.

A scientific study published in the journal Biological Conservation found that survival rates of Hen Harriers were ‘unusually low’, and illegal killing was identified as a major cause. And previously, a 2019 Government study concluded that Hen Harriers suffer elevated levels of mortality on grouse moors, most likely as a result of illegal killing. The RSPB’s Birdcrime report also found that 75% of all individuals convicted of bird of prey persecution-related offences from 2009 to 2023 were connected to the gamebird shooting industry.

Howard Jones, RSPB Senior Investigations Officer, said:

“The disappearance of Red is a huge blow for a struggling species where every bird counts. Should a tagged bird die, its tag would continue transmitting, allowing us to recover the body. This was not the case, which strongly suggests human interference.

“This latest incident follows a clear pattern of Hen Harriers disappearing on driven grouse moors. It’s overwhelmingly clear that action must be taken to protect these birds in these landscapes. Licensing of driven grouse shooting estates must be implemented to ensure all estates are operating within the law, and to protect birds like Hen Harriers from persistent persecution“.

If you noticed a dead or injured bird of prey in suspicious circumstances, please call the 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 have information about anyone killing birds of prey which you wish to report anonymously, call the RSPB’s confidential Raptor Crime Hotline on 0300 999 0101.

ENDS

So here we are again. Yet another hen harrier ‘vanishes’ on yet another grouse moor. The name of the grouse moor hasn’t been made public but we know that Hen Harrier ‘Red’ disappeared in the same area where another young hen harrier, called ‘Sia’, also disappeared in suspicious circumstances in 2022.

The hen harrier killers couldn’t even get through the first month of a new year without committing yet another offence.

Why does it keep happening? Simple. Nobody has been caught or prosecuted in any of the (now) 134 cases we know about in recent years, and the chances of anyone being caught or prosecuted are virtually none existent, so there is absolutely no deterrent whatsoever to stop this happening again and again and again.

We know that Natural England is currently undertaking a review of the ludicrous Hen Harrier Brood Meddling ‘trial’ which ran from 2018 – 2024 (see here) and was supposed to bring an end to the routine, systematic slaughter of these birds. My understanding is that this review is being done relatively quickly because representatives of the grouse shooting industry have apparently applied for another brood meddling licence for 2025, laughingly termed a ‘conservation’ licence, and I’ll be writing about that soon.

Meanwhile, the RSPB says it is urging the Government to introduce a licensing scheme for grouse shooting in England, along the same lines as the new scheme in Scotland. They’re wasting their time – the legislation in Scotland has already been sabotaged by the grouse shooting industry resulting in a severely weakened licensing system that is virtually unenforceable.

Instead, Wild Justice has launched a petition calling for a ban on driven grouse shooting as the only viable option on the table. The petition is live until 22 May 2025 and needs 100,000 signatures to qualify for a debate in Westminster Hall. It’s currently on 64,000 signatures. If you haven’t yet signed it, it’s here.

I’ll shortly be updating the hen harrier death list, which now stands at 134 hen harriers confirmed ‘missing’ or illegally killed in the UK since 2018, mostly on or close to grouse moors. If the additional six dead hen harriers currently still awaiting post mortems turn out to have been illegally killed, the death list will stand at 140 hen harriers.

UPDATE 22 February 2025: 134 hen harriers confirmed ‘missing’ or illegally killed in UK since 2018, most of them on or close to grouse moors (here)

Two dead birds of prey ‘found in suspicious circumstances’ – Gwent Police investigating

The following statement and photo was posted on social media on 19 January 2025:

GWENT POLICE: Another busy weekend for the rural crime team that included responding to a report of 2 dead birds of prey. Found in suspicious circumstances, they have been recovered for autopsy via the Wildlife Investigation Team (WIIS).

No further details available at the moment.

Buzzard dies from shotgun injuries in Lincolnshire – police appeal for information

Lincolnshire Police posted the following on social media yesterday:

Sadly the beautiful buzzard in the picture has died as a result of being shot.

The bird was found alive on Saturday 4 January at Grainthorpe and taken to the emergency vets where it was treated and later collected by Cleethorpes Wildlife Rescue.  The buzzard didn’t survive it’s injuries.  Crime ref 24*10683 refers. 

If is an offence to kill or injure any wild bird.  They are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.  It is also an offence to interfere with nests, or remove any chicks or eggs.

DC Aaron Flint from our Rural Crime Action Team said: “I’d like to hear from anyone who has information about the shooting of birds in our county.  Please don’t think it’s not worth reporting, it very much is and helps us to build a picture of this sort of crime.”

If you have any information that will help with this investigation or similar offences, please get in touch by emailing aaron.flint@lincs.police.uk.

Alternatively  contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at Crimestoppers-uk.org.

ENDS

White-tailed Eagle shot dead in Ireland – appeal for information

Press release from The National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS), 14 January 2025:

INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF A WHITE-TAILED EAGLE IN COUNTY WESTMEATH

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) appeal to the public for information.

The NPWS has launched an investigation following the recent shooting dead of a White-tailed Eagle beside Lough Owel, near Mullingar, Co. Westmeath and is appealing to the public for information.

White-tailed Eagle photo by Pete Walkden

The two-year old female eagle was part of the NPWS White-tailed Eagle Reintroduction Programme. She was released in 2022 on the Shannon Estuary. Investigating officers have established that the bird was shot, but, are awaiting further results of forensic analysis that may provide additional information.

The NPWS deplores the deliberate killing of rare and endangered species, and takes bird of prey persecutions extremely seriously.

NPWS is appealing for any information the public may have in relation to the incident.

As part of the reintroduction programme, White-tailed Eagle chicks are fitted with satellite tags to monitor their movement. Information from the satellite tag for the dead eagle indicates that she died sometime on Friday the 6th of December, the day before Storm Darragh, in the Ballynafid / Portnashangan area at Lough Owel.

Satellite information shows that she was present in the area over the previous couple of weeks having travelled widely across the country since her release in 2022.  In early 2023, she left north Kerry, and spent time at various locations along the western seaboard. She also travelled to Donegal and spent a lot of time making trips over and back to north Antrim, Fermanagh, Cavan and other counties, including visiting Lough Ree in the north midlands. Lately she had come back to Westmeath where she moved between local lakes- Lough Owel, Lough Derravaragh and Lough Ennell.

Members of the public can contact the NPWS by emailing wildlifeenforcement@npws.gov.ie. All reports will be treated in the strictest of confidence.

ENDS

There is a further NWPS statement dated 15 January 2025:

MINISTER NOONAN APPEALS TO THE PUBLIC FOR INFORMATION FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF A WHITE-TAILED EAGLE AT LOUGH OWEL IN CO. WESTMEATH

“Like all who cherish our wildlife, I was devastated to hear of the recent shooting dead of a White-tailed Eagle beside Lough Owel, near Mullingar in Co. Westmeath. White Tailed Eagles are magnificent creatures; their presence are such good indicators of the health of our ecosystems and countryside and now part of our wider efforts to restore nature.  It is an absolute deplorable act to kill such a rare and endangered species.

“This young female eagle was part of the very successful NPWS White Tailed Eagle Reintroduction Programme in partnership with Norway. I was honoured to be present at the release of these stunning creatures to the wild in my role as Minister of State for Nature and Heritage.

“After being released into the Shannon Estuary in 2022 she had peacefully settled into the Irish landscape travelling from north Kerry, spending time in Western Seaboard before travelling to Armagh, Fermanagh, Cavan and other counties, including visiting Lough Ree in the north midlands. Lately she had returned to Westmeath where she moved between local lakes- Lough Owel, Lough Derravaragh and Lough Ennell.  Satellite tags fitted by NPWS indicate that she died on 6th December the day before Storm Darragh, in the Ballynafid/ Portnashangan area at Lough Owel.

“White Tailed Eagles are treasured by local communities and visitors to Ireland alike and any loss resonates throughout. I appeal to the public to come forward with any information that they may have in relation to this incident. I am assured that NPWS are undertaking a thorough investigation led by the Wildlife Crime Directorate with the support of An Garda Siochána and will, where possible, bring the perpetrators of this unacceptable crime to justice. Members of the public can contact the NPWS by emailing wildlifeenforcement@npws.gov.ie. All reports will be treated in the strictest of confidence“.

ENDS