US EditionRecord Number of Hen Harriers 'Killed' Is at 'Devastating' New High, Warn RSPB
- On June 26, 2025, the RSPB published a report highlighting 102 cases of illegal killing or disappearances of Hen Harriers from 2020 to 2024, primarily occurring in areas associated with grouse shooting estates in northern England.
- Illegal persecution increases because grouse moor owners see Hen Harriers as a threat to their profitability since every harrier chick reduces grouse sales, prompting calls for industry regulation.
- The report highlights that 34 birds either disappeared or were confirmed killed in 2023, making it the most severe year on record for persecution, while the population of Hen Harriers in England is significantly below the levels their suitable habitats could sustain.
- Dr James Robinson, director of operations at the RSPB, emphasized that the hen harrier population cannot rebound while illegal activities continue, and called for a licensing system in England similar to Scotland’s that would revoke permits from estates found guilty of raptor persecution.
- The findings imply urgent need for stronger legal deterrents as no convictions occurred in England despite long-standing protection since 1954, and a parliamentary debate on grouse shooting is scheduled for June 30, 2025.
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A record number of puffins continue to reach a small island off the coast of Wales despite the fact that the world population of this species of birds continues to decline rapidly.
RSPB: Number of Hen Harriers killed or missing reaches new high
A new RSPB report – titled unambiguously Hen Harriers in the firing line – shows record numbers of Hen Harriers being illegally killed or going missing in suspicious circumstances over the past five years, and that the majority of the 102 incidents occurred on or near grouse moors. Hen Harriers are a rare, protected bird […]
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