More hen harriers killed in UK during 2023 than in any other year, RSPB says

More hen harriers were killed in 2023 than in any other year on record, a report has found.

The RSPB’s Birdcrime report also found that at least 1,344 individual birds of prey were persecuted in the UK between 2009 and 2023, and that 75% of people convicted of offences related to the persecution of birds of prey in that period were connected to the gamebird shooting industry.

Shooting estates have historically killed birds of prey because of fears the raptors will eat game birds such as grouse, meaning there are fewer for people to shoot. Birds traditionally targeted include rare and threatened species such as golden eagles, hen harriers, peregrine falcons, white-tailed eagles and goshawks.

The RSPB is calling for laws to be tightened; though birds of prey are protected by law under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, only one person has been jailed in the past 15 years.

Mark Thomas, the RSPB’s UK head of investigations, said: “If we are to save birds like the highly threatened hen harrier, then the current legislation is clearly not enough: we need licensing of gamebird shooting throughout the UK, stronger penalties and meaningful sentencing to stop these crimes and save our wildlife.”

In Scotland, a law passed in March this year requires all grouse shoots in Scotland to have a licence to operate, and if crimes such as the killing of birds of prey take place on the estate, the licence can be revoked. The RSPB is recommending a similar law be passed by the Labour government in England. It also says shoots of all gamebirds, not just grouse, should require a licence to operate across the devolved nations, and has called on national governments to enforce tougher penalties for the deliberate killing of birds.

A Defra spokesperson said there are no plans to introduce licences for gamebird shooting in England, adding: “Bird of prey crime is a national wildlife crime priority and there are strong penalties in place for offences committed against birds of prey and other wildlife.”

This article by Helena Horton was first published by The Guardian on 22 October 2024. Lead Image: Shooting estates have historically killed birds of prey because they eat game birds such as grouse, leaving fewer for people to shoot. Photograph: Tim Melling/National Trust/PA.

What you can do

Help to save wildlife by donating as little as $1 – It only takes a minute.