Three satellite-tracked Hen Harriers have out of the blue disappeared over land managed for pushed grouse capturing. All three disappearances have occurred inside days of the Wonderful Twelfth, the official begin of the capturing season for Pink Grouse, and a time the place grouse numbers are managed to be at their peak stage to make sure a profitable capturing season.
Hen Harriers, are a uncommon, protected species, identified for his or her acrobatic ‘skydancing’ courtship show over the uplands. The Hen Harrier is categorised as a pink listed species within the UK, as a consequence of its low inhabitants ranges.
Martha was a one-year-old feminine Hen Harrier. She was tagged as a chick at Mar Lodge, a Nationwide Belief for Scotland property in Aberdeenshire within the spring of 2022. The satellite tv for pc monitoring knowledge exhibits that Martha moved into Northumberland in early August 2023 and gave her final transmission from Westburnhope Moor close to Hexham, within the North Pennines on 9 August 2023.
Hen Harrier, copyright Glyn Sellors, from the surfbirds galleries
Selena was a juvenile feminine tagged on United Utilities land in Bowland within the spring of this yr. Her satellite tv for pc tag confirmed that she had simply moved to the Yorkshire Dales earlier than her final transmission from Mossdale Moor close to Hawes, within the Yorkshire Dales on 11 August 2023.
Hepit was one other younger feminine Hen Harrier. She had additionally been tagged as a chick on United Utilities land in Bowland this yr, earlier than transferring to the Yorkshire Dales final month. Hepit’s final transmission got here from moorland at Birkdale Frequent close to Kirkby Stephen, on 15 August 2023 – an space the place 9 different satellite-tagged Hen Harriers have vanished or been discovered lifeless with accidents in step with persecution since September 2020.
Regardless of being legally protected, a number of research and reviews verify that unlawful killing is the principle issue limiting the restoration of Hen Harrier within the UK, inflicting a discount in nesting success, annual productiveness and survival of breeding females. A current RSPB Centre for Conservation Science research, which investigated the unlawful killing of satellite-tagged Hen Harriers in affiliation with gamebird administration (Ewing, et al 2023), has proven that the survival charges of Hen Harriers within the UK is “unusually low” with birds surviving for simply 121 days after fledging. Human persecution accounted for 27-41% of deaths on Hen Harriers aged below one yr and 75% of deaths in birds aged between one and two years. It additionally highlighted a powerful overlap between Hen Harrier mortality and the extent of grouse moors.
Sadly, though this sample of satellite tv for pc tagged birds disappearing across the begin of the Pink Grouse capturing season has been seen earlier than, the RSPB have by no means had a case of three satellite-tagged Hen Harriers going lacking inside six days.
Beccy Speight, the RSPB’s Chief Govt stated “That is the primary time so many Hen Harriers have gone lacking in such a brief house of time, all on pushed grouse moors. That is on high of the 21 birds that we reported on in April, as having gone lacking within the final twelve months. If these magnificent birds are ever going to have a sustainable inhabitants in England this has to cease, productiveness from nests means nothing if the birds don’t survive.
We name on the UK Authorities to introduce a licencing system for grouse capturing in England much like measures now being taken ahead in Scotland, to behave as a significant deterrent to raptor crime while additionally defending the reputable pursuits of these landowners who function legally.”
All three incidents have been reported to the police and the NWCU (Nationwide Wildlife Crime Unit). Sadly, there are a number of different Hen Harrier persecution incidents that we can’t report on presently.
For those who discover a lifeless or injured chook of prey in suspicious circumstances, name the police on 101 and fill within the RSPB’s on-line reporting type: https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/recommendation/wild-bird-crime-report-form/
In case you have details about anybody killing birds of prey which you want to report anonymously, name the RSPB’s confidential Raptor Crime Hotline on 0300 999 0101.
