shooting – Page 3 – Raptor Persecution UK

Trial to resume of two Scottish gamekeepers relating to alleged shooting & killing of Red Kites in Cairngorms National Park

The trial of two Scottish gamekeepers, accused of offences relating to the alleged shooting and killing of Red Kites in the Cairngorms National Park in February 2025, is set to resume next week.

Head gamekeeper Graeme Rankin and assistant gamekeeper Steven Hague have both denied the charges.

The pair appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court for a four-day trial at the end of April 2025, after an earlier trial, scheduled for December 2025, was adjourned as the two defence lawyers, both KCs (Kings Counsel), lodged a motion suggesting the Sheriff should recuse himself from the hearing as he was an RSPB member (see here).

The four-day trial in April was extended because the court ran out of time to hear from all the witnesses. It will resume on Monday 15 June 2026.

NB: Comments are turned off as legal proceedings are still live.

Satellite-tagged White-tailed Eagle ‘disappeared’ on Snilesworth Estate, North York Moors National Park

Further to the news earlier this week that a young satellite-tagged White-tailed Eagle (known as G834) had ‘disappeared’ on 1st May in what the police describe as suspicious circumstances, on a grouse-shooting estate in the North York Moors National Park (see here), one of five satellite-tagged White-tailed Eagles to have vanished in recent months (here), it has now been revealed that his last known location was on the Snilesworth Estate.

This news didn’t come from the appeal for information issued by North Yorkshire Police last Monday – that vague appeal just gave the location as, ‘the western side of the North York Moors‘. Instead, the information has come from a lengthy feature article in this morning’s Guardian newspaper, written by Chief Reporter Daniel Boffey.

Daniel Boffey visited the estate this week and was given short shrift by gamekeeper Charles Woof, who, when asked about the missing eagle, reportedly said:

“I don’t know anything about it” and “It’s private property, I am going to have to ask you to leave“.

The article refers to Woof’s 2008 conviction, where he admitted to using a baited trap to catch birds of prey. That’s interesting. I thought the shooting industry claimed to have a zero tolerance policy to raptor persecution and that anyone convicted would be kicked out of the profession? Apparently not.

Mark Thomas, Head of the RSPB’s Investigations Team is also quoted in the article, having been asked for his opinion about what might have happened to White-tailed Eagle G834:

“I think something has happened in the middle of the night whilst this eagle was at roost. Now, these things don’t fly around in the dark. They will wait till first light.

“If you’re asking me to look at the probability … it’s most likely the bird has been shot. And if the bird is shot whilst it’s roosting, then it’s being shot at night, potentially with thermal imaging gear“.

The article also reports that ‘Snilesworth estate management declined to comment‘. I don’t know who manages the estate these days but for many years it was managed by ‘grouse guru’ Mark Osborne’s company, starting in 2000, according to an earlier version of the company’s website:

One of Osborne’s other companies, William Powell Sporting, currently sells shooting days (Grouse, Pheasant & Red-legged Partridge) at Snilesworth:

Here is a review from one happy Snilesworth customer, featured on a William Powell Sporting publicity brochure:

The Guardian article is careful to emphasise that there is nothing to suggest that gamekeeper Mr Woof or his team may have been involved in the eagle’s disappearance. Boffey writes:

‘The range of possible suspects is huge, including local farmers and others connected to nearby grouse lands, of which there are many‘.

The article also mentions that on the day the Guardian reporter visited, Mr Woof was ‘busy preparing for a charity clay pigeon shoot‘.

That’ll be this one, happening today, organised by the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT).

Hopefully the charity shoot guests won’t be causing any disturbance to the local wildlife as they shoot their way around the six clay pigeon stands across the estate and they can keep an eye out for the missing eagle…

Raven shot in Essex: Police appeal for information

Press release from Essex Police (4 June 2026):

COLCHESTER: APPEAL AFTER RAVEN SHOT IN SUSPECTED WILDLIFE CRIME

We are appealing for information after a raven was shot dead in West Bergholt.

It was reported the bird was shot in Nayland Road on 1 June and later died.

Shooting wild birds without lawful reason is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

We want to hear from anyone who was in the area on 1 June, or the night before, and may have seen anything suspicious or has doorbell, CCTV or dashcam footage which could help our enquiries.

PC Jed Raven said:

“This was a distressing incident and we are carrying out enquiries to establish exactly what happened.

“Intentionally harming defenceless wildlife and birds is not just illegal, it is cruel and can lead to the animal suffering before death.

“If you were in the area and saw anything, or have any footage which may help, please get in touch with us“.

Please contact us quoting investigation 42/85306/26.

You can contact us by submitting a report on our website or by using our online Live Chat service, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Visit our website to find out more about our online reporting services.

Alternatively, you can call 101.

If you would prefer to report anonymously, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers by visiting their website or by calling 0800 555 111.

ENDS

More news on the satellite-tagged White-tailed Eagle that ‘disappeared’ on a grouse shooting estate in the North York Moors National Park

On Monday the news broke that a young satellite-tagged White-tailed Eagle had ‘disappeared’ in suspicious circumstances on a grouse shooting estate in the North York Moors National Park (see here).

I was critical of the vague appeal for information issued by North Yorkshire Police and said I would write more about the details that hadn’t been included in that appeal.

However, since then, there has been a new development. I can’t explain any further at the moment but all will become apparent in due course. For this reason, I’ve decided not to add any of the missing details, at least not just yet. If the new development doesn’t progress as I expect it to, then I will come back to this news story.

Meanwhile, it’s worth talking about G834, the eagle at the centre of the police investigation, and placing his suspicious disappearance in to wider context.

White-tailed Eagle G834, prior to fledging, after being ringed and fitted with its satellite tag (photo by Tim Mackrill, Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation)

G834 hatched in Dorset in 2025, the first wild-fledged White-tailed Eagle in that county for over 240 years (see here).

His parents first paired up in 2023 after being released in 2020 as part of the Isle of Wight Reintroduction Project, led by the Roy Dennis Wildlife Foundation and Forestry England.

G834 was the product of their first successful breeding attempt, and brought the number of wild-fledged WTEs in England up to six since the project began (one chick in Sussex in 2023, two chicks in Sussex in 2024, and two chicks in Sussex and one chick in Dorset in 2025).

He was the star of the show at Poole Harbour at the beginning of this year, where 30 young members of the Young Birders’ Club, an initiative set up by the brilliant charity, Birds of Poole Harbour, were able to watch him feeding in the harbour. The significance of this sighting was summed up by Birds of Poole Harbour Project organiser, Sam Ryde:

“This was such an important and historical moment. To be able to show a group of young conservationists a wild born White-tailed Eagle right here in Dorset is beyond special. Not only that, to be able to explain to them how these projects work, why it’s important and actually show them the outcome is what it’s all about. These reintroduction projects change the baseline for what’s considered ‘normal’ in these landscapes. For many people here in Dorset and Poole Harbour White-tailed Eagles are a new-comer due to the fate they suffered all those years ago. However, kids will now grow up in Dorset with White-tailed Eagles having always been a part of their local heritage, which they’ll want to continue to protect and conserve”.

Three months later, G834 made the fatal mistake of visiting a grouse moor in the North York Moors National Park where, only a few hours after arriving, his satellite tag stopped transmitting whilst he was roosting nearby overnight and he hasn’t been seen since.

The circumstances remind me of the fate of the young Golden Eagle called Merrick, believed to have been shot, killed and removed overnight from a roost site in the Moorfoot Hills, south Scotland, in October 2023.

G834 is the fifth satellite-tagged White-tailed Eagle to have ‘disappeared’ in suspicious circumstances in the last year. Here are the others:

In May 2025, a young satellite-tagged White-tailed Eagle ‘disappeared’ on a grouse moor in Nairnshire, Scotland (see here).
On 13 September 2025, the satellite tag belonging to White-tailed Eagle G615 was found on remote moorland in mid-Wales. Dyfed Powys Police stated the tag had been removed with a sharp instrument before being hidden in an attempt to dispose of it. Searches in the area to try and locate the body of the bird have so far been unsuccessful (see here).
On 26 September 2025, a satellite tag belonging to young White-tailed Eagle G842 was recovered from the River Rother, near Petersfield, Sussex. It had been removed from the bird using a sharp instrument. Searches in the area to try and locate the body of the bird have so far been unsuccessful (see here).
On 8 November 2025, a four-year-old satellite-tagged White-tailed Eagle (G819) ‘disappeared’ in the Moorfoot Hills, south Scotland (see here).

I mentioned earlier that in 2025, three young White-tailed Eagles fledged in the wild (two in Sussex and one in Dorset). Two of those three birds are now ‘missing’ – one (G842) had its tag cut off that was subsequently thrown into a river, and the other one’s tag (G834) has stopped transmitting in suspicious circumstances and the bird hasn’t been seen since.

Two out of three. That’s disgraceful.

And given how long these birds take to mature before they’re old enough to breed (anywhere between 3-7 yrs), and how low their productivity is when they do breed (1-3 chicks per year), it’s no wonder that the project team is planning to release more eagles this year, on both the Isle of Wight and on Exmoor. Given the natural attrition rate (e.g. disease, accidental collision etc), and then illegal persecution on top of that, this population is going to need the release of many more eagles before it becomes sustainable.

UPDATE 6 June 2026: Satellite-tagged White-tailed Eagle ‘disappeared’ on Snilesworth Estate, North York Moors National Park (here)

UK legislation continues to fail birds of prey as widespread illegal killing continues – new report from RSPB

Press release from the RSPB (27 May 2026)

UK LEGISLATION CONTINUES TO FAIL BIRDS OF PREY AS WIDESPREAD ILLEGAL KILLING CONTINUES

921 confirmed incidents of bird of prey persecution were recorded in the UK from 2015-2024, involving 18 protected species. Shockingly, these figures represent only a fraction of the true number of these crimes.
55% of all confirmed incidents (2015-2024) were associated with land managed for gamebird shooting with two thirds of individuals convicted linked to the gamebird shooting industry.
These latest findings prompt renewed calls for tougher regulation of the gamebird industry through the introduction of licensing for all gamebird shooting in the UK.

Although all birds of prey have been protected under UK laws for over 60 years, a new RSPB report, Patterns of Persecution reveals that these protected species are being illegally targeted and killed across the UK. Between 2015 and 2024, 921 confirmed incidents were recorded across the UK. Of these, 48% were shooting related.

In this ten-year period 18 protected bird of prey species, including many reintroduced and recovering species of conservation concern, fell victim to these crimes. Buzzards were the hardest hit with 319 confirmed incidents recorded, followed by Red Kites (157 confirmed incidents) and Peregrines (97 confirmed incidents).

Concerningly, as these crimes take place predominantly in remote and often inaccessible areas of the countryside, not all are detected. These figures therefore represent only the tip of the iceberg.

Evidence, including police investigations, intelligence reports, eye-witness accounts and covert footage have shown that bird of prey persecution is significantly linked to the gamebird shooting industry. 55% of confirmed incidents (2015-2024) were linked to land managed for gamebird shooting (21% grouse shooting, 28% pheasant and/or partridge shooting, and 6% mixed gamebird shooting).

On some shooting estates birds of prey are being illegally shot, trapped or poisoned, nests and eggs destroyed, and chicks killed before they have fledged the nest. These often-brutal crimes are committed in an attempt to prevent any perceived threat to gamebird stocks, in an effort to maximise the number of gamebirds available to be shot.

Despite hundreds of confirmed incidents of bird of prey persecution being recorded in recent years, if there is no substantive evidence which links a person to the crime these incidents go unchallenged and unpunished. Between 2015 and 2024, despite hundreds of incidents being recorded, only 24 individuals were convicted of bird of prey persecution-related offences. Two thirds were associated with the gamebird industry, and more than half were working as gamekeepers at the time.

This latest report shows that these crimes continue to detrimentally impact Hen Harrier recovery in England and Scotland. This iconic and threatened Red-listed species has been persecuted for decades, resulting in their population being suppressed to a fraction of their natural capacity. Between 2015 and 2024, 49 confirmed Hen Harrier persecution incidents were recorded in the UK. The majority of these incidents took place on or near land managed for grouse shooting. In the same ten-years 100 satellite tagged Hen Harriers disappeared in suspicious circumstances on or near grouse moors. They were suspected to have been illegally killed.

To provide a meaningful deterrent and effectively challenge the illegal killing of birds of prey, the RSPB is supporting the introduction of a licensing scheme for all gamebird shooting in the UK. Under a civil burden of proof, licences could be suspended or revoked where evidence indicates bird of prey persecution has occurred on licensed land. The system would promote best practice, penalising only those who break the law while respecting the rights of responsible estates. Under this legislation, birds of prey would have the effective protection they desperately need.

In 2024, Scotland took significant steps, introducing mandatory licensing of grouse shooting under the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024. Now it is time for these protections to be extended across the UK, for all gamebirds shooting.

James Robinson, the RSPB’s chief operating officer: “As this report shows, existing UK laws continue to fail to protect our magnificent birds of prey. Without a meaningful deterrent, these crimes will continue. eagles will be poisoned, Hen Harriers shot and Buzzards beaten to death in traps. All of these crimes are unacceptable.

“Frustratingly, under existing laws, those committing these crimes have been able to do so with little fear of retribution. This needs to change.

“Regulation in the form of a licensing system is the most appropriate and fair way to achieve this, providing an effective and meaningful deterrent to those willing to commit these crimes and finally give these incredible species the protection they urgently need.”

If you notice a dead or injured bird of prey in suspicious circumstances, 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

The new RSPB report and its appendices can be downloaded here:

RSPB Patterns Of Persecution Report_2015_2024 Download

RSPB Patterns of Persecution_Appendices_May2026 Download

UPDATE 29 May 2026: Shooting industry’s flawed analysis of RSPB raptor persecution data (here)

Bird of prey persecution in UK still widespread, says RSPB

In anticipation of a new RSPB report, due out tomorrow, documenting the ongoing illegal killing of birds of prey in the UK, the BBC News website has an article this morning, stating Britain’s protected birds of prey are still being shot, trapped and poisoned.

The BBC says the new report records 921 confirmed attacks on birds of prey between 2015 and 2024, with more than half, according to the RSPB, on or near land managed for game shooting.

Mark Thomas, head of the RSPB’s investigations unit, told the BBC the killings were “about money”, with birds of prey targeted to stop them taking young pheasants, partridges or grouse, leaving more birds to be shot by paying customers.

Shooting organisations strongly deny persecution is widespread across the industry. They say it is carried out by a small minority and condemn it outright.

Same old, same old.

The BBC has created an interactive map based on the RSPB’s data, showing confirmed incidents per 100 km sq, between 2015 and 2024. There’s a map showing all confirmed incidents (see below) but you can also click on various tabs to show the data for Buzzards, Red Kites, Peregrines, ‘Owls’, Goshawks and Hen Harriers.

The article highlights the convictions of three gamekeepers this year: Thomas Munday, convicted after brutally clubbing a trapped Buzzard to death on a Pheasant shoot at Hovingham, North Yorkshire (here); Racster Dingwall, convicted of conspiracy to kill a Hen Harrier on a grouse moor in the Yorkshire Dales National Park (here); and Russell Mason, convicted of brutally clubbing a trapped Goshawk to death on a Pheasant shoot in Perthshire (here).

The RSPB repeats its call for all gamebird shoots to be licensed. Dr Marnie Lovejoy from the British Association for Shooting & Conservation (BASC) is cited as saying BASC opposes licensing because it ‘would add another layer of regulation to activities already covered by law and would affect everyone involved in shooting’.

It’s a strange argument, often repeated by the game shooting industry. Licensing would protect those who aren’t committing crimes and penalise the ones who are. The industry has failed, spectacularly, to rid itself of the criminals so licensing should be the very least it should expect and if they’re all abiding by the law, the threat of a licence being withdrawn/revoked shouldn’t be of any concern.

The RSPB’s latest report will be published on Wednesday morning and I’ll post a copy of it on the blog, first thing.

Shot Buzzard found in Bransdale area of North York Moors National Park – Police appeal for information

Press statement from North Yorkshire Police (19 May 2026):

APPEAL FOR INFORMATION AFTER SHOT BUZZARD FOUND IN NORTH YORK MOORS

We’re appealing for information after a buzzard was found with shotgun pellets in its wing.

The buzzard was located in the Bransdale area on 4 May 2026 with a broken leg, and taken to a vet. Sadly, it had to be euthanised due to its injuries.

The bird was x-rayed, and pellets from a shotgun were found in its wing. It is believed the broken leg occurred up to 48 hours before it was found, and may have been caused by a hard landing – so the buzzard could have been shot within that same 48-hour period.

Buzzards and other birds of prey are legally protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. To intentionally kill or injure one is a criminal offence.

Anyone with any information about how the bird came to be injured is asked to contact North Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting reference 12260080894.

ENDS

There have been a number of persecution incidents reported from this area in the past. In 2010 a shot Goshawk was found at Bransdale (see here) and a post mortem reportedly revealed it had also been poisoned (see here). In 2012 a walker crossing the moorland in Bransdale found a dead Sparrowhawk, also reported to have been shot (see here). In 2019 a Buzzard was reportedly found shot on Bransdale Moor (see here) and in 2020, five dead Buzzards were found concealed in a hole on a Bransdale grouse moor – four were confirmed to have been shot and the fifth was suspected to have been shot (see here).

The Bransdale area of the North York Moors National Park

‘Ghost sky dance’ – powerful new artwork documents the illegal killing of Hen Harriers on UK grouse moors

This is really special.

Yorkshire-based sculptor Mark Butler and writer Gregory Norminton have collaborated to create a powerful piece of art to highlight the illegal killing of Hen Harriers on UK grouse moors, paying particular attention to those killed in Yorkshire.

Gregory chose to write about eight ‘sightings’ of Hen Harriers and pays tribute to 57 named and satellite-tagged Hen Harriers of the 147 known to have ‘disappeared’ or to have been illegally killed, on or close to grouse moors, since 2018.

Mark then chose eight of those Hen Harriers (ones that had vanished / been killed close to his home in the Yorkshire Dales) and created a ‘ghost sky dance’ sequence, routing a silhouette and painting it gold on burnt pallet wood, each with its own memorial plaque detailing the fate of the named harrier.

Mark with his memorial plaque for Hen Harrier Asta, whose wings were ripped off by ‘someone’ in the North Pennines (photo by Ruth Tingay)

I’m not sure if I can persuade you with words alone of just how evocative this work is. I was really taken by both the idea and the photographs alone, but actually seeing and touching the wood, as well as smelling the acridity, made the piece come to life (ironically).

I’m also secretly pleased that Gregory and Mark both say they used this blog as inspiration for their creativity. There’s no better compliment.

The work sits within a wider project focusing on local species that are under threat, all chosen from the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority’s Nature Recovery Plan. It’s still a work in progress but the entire exhibition will be going on tour around Yorkshire from February 2027. If you get a chance to visit it, it’ll be time well spent.

For more information about the creation of the ghost sky dance, visit Mark’s website here and Gregory’s website here.

Post-mortem on Cambridgeshire Peregrine reveals shotgun pellets

Statement from Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire & Northants Wildlife Trust (30 April 2026).

A well known peregrine falcon which nested on a Cambridge nature reserve for many years has died.

The female bird of prey raised many chicks at Cherry Hinton Chalk Pits and has been seen by thousands of visitors over the years. The death is being investigated by the National Wildlife Crime Unit.

She was found in Cambridge sick and unable to fly, and was taken to a vet. She was examined and with very low chances of survival the only option was for her to be euthanised.

The examination revealed she had been hit with shotgun pellets at some point in the past – although this has not been confirmed as the single cause of death. Records show she was ringed as a chick in Brighton in 2009 which means she was 17 years old – an advanced age for a peregrine.

Matt Jackson, Wildlife Trust BCN Director of Conservation, said: “This bird made her home on the chalk quarry face at Cherry Hinton for many years and was much loved by local residents, bird watchers, staff and volunteers. It is very sad news.

“We will await the outcome of the National Wildlife Crime Unit investigation before commenting on what happened to her, but we do know that wild birds of prey are still at risk of persecution and despite hundreds of wildlife crimes being reported each year only a handful end up in court.

“We will protect this site and the wildlife it is home as best we can, and hope that the habitat remains healthy enough for another peregrine to take up residence in the future. To help us achieve this we would like to remind all visitors to respect the reserve, keep dogs on a lead at all times, stick to paths and do not pick wildflowers“.

ENDS

Trial extended for two Scottish gamekeepers accused of offences relating to alleged shooting of Red Kites in Cairngorms National Park

A four-day trial against two Scottish gamekeepers has been extended after the court ran out of time to hear all the evidence.

Head gamekeeper Graeme Rankin and assistant gamekeeper Steven Hague appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court this week charged with offences relating to the alleged shooting of Red Kites in the Cairngorms National Park in February 2025.

They have both denied the charges.

The trial was scheduled to run for four days, between Monday 27 – Thursday 30 April 2026, but the case was adjourned on Thursday and will continue at a later date, still to be decided and dependent upon witness availability.

NB: Comments are turned off as legal proceedings are still live.

UPDATE 18 June 2026: More detail on trial of two Scottish gamekeepers charged with alleged shooting of Red Kites in Cairngorms National Park (here)

UPDATE 6 August 2026: Trial collapses against two Scottish gamekeepers accused of killing Red Kites in Cairngorms National Park (here)

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