Illegal bird of prey killing must end, urges RSPB Birdcrime report - RSPB
The RSPB is calling for an end to the relentless illegal killing of birds of prey in a new report, which documents 15 years of criminal slaughter.
- The Birdcrime report, which reviews the past 15 years, reveals 1,344 birds of prey were illegally killed between 2009-2023, with crimes continuing to emerge. These criminal acts target threatened species including Golden Eagles, Goshawks and Hen Harriers.
- The majority of incidents are associated with land managed for gamebird shooting.
- The RSPB is calling for significant legislative change across the UK to stop bird of prey persecution.
The RSPB is calling for an end to the relentless illegal killing of birds of prey in a new report, which documents 15 years of criminal slaughter.
The Birdcrime report reveals that between 2009-2023 there were 1,529 confirmed bird of prey persecution incidents involving 1,344 individual birds of prey. These include rare and threatened species such as Golden Eagles, Hen Harriers, Peregrines, White-tailed Eagles and Goshawks.
These latest figures reveal that crimes are being committed on a considerable scale year-on-year. Worryingly, they represent just the tip of the iceberg as many of these incidents take place in unpopulated areas where they go unreported.
Many of the victims were killed in brutal ways. In 2022 a Hen Harrier was found dead near the border of Yorkshire and Cumbria: the post-mortem examination concluded that its head had been pulled from its body while still alive.
Raptor persecution is having a direct impact on species that are already struggling. Two young White-tailed Eagles - a species slowly recovering having been wiped out in the UK by persecution last century - were found dead in County Antrim, Northern Ireland in 2023. Analysis confirmed that both eagles had died by ingesting Bendiocarb, a highly toxic insecticide. Laying poisoned baits, which are incredibly dangerous to people and pets, is illegal, yet a common technique used to kill birds of prey.
The majority of raptor persecution incidents are associated with land managed for gamebird shooting, where some individuals deliberately target birds of prey to maximise the number of gamebirds available to shoot for sport.