RSPB Hen Harrier press launch – Mark Avery

Six extra uncommon Hen Harriers vanish on or close to grouse moors with one other confirmed poisoned

• Seven RSPB satellite tv for pc tagged Hen Harriers are suspected or confirmed to have been illegally killed in England on or close to land managed for grouse capturing in 2025 – with three in simply 13 days.
• Hen Harriers are a protected, Purple-listed species of excessive conservation concern with unlawful killing extensively recognised as the primary trigger for his or her weak standing.
• To forestall and deter these crimes and make sure the restoration of Hen Harriers in England the RSPB is urgently calling for the introduction of licensing of all gamebird capturing throughout the UK.

In 2025, it’s suspected {that a} complete of seven RSPB satellite-tagged Hen Harriers have been illegally killed on or close to grouse moors in northern England, with one Hen Harrier confirmed poisoned and 6 extra disappearing in suspicious circumstances – all sending their ultimate transmission on or close to land managed for grouse capturing.

All incidents have been shortly reported to the police and Nationwide Wildlife Crime Unit’s Hen Harrier Taskforce. Acquiring proof of Hen Harrier killing and bringing prosecutions is extraordinarily troublesome however Police investigations proceed.

To watch Hen Harrier actions and survival, RSPB and Pure England have been tagging Hen Harrier chicks for over 15 years. These extremely dependable satellite tv for pc tags usually proceed to transmit even when a chicken dies. Nonetheless, as a number of incidents have proven, many tags have all of a sudden and suspiciously stopped transmitting on or close to grouse moors with out signal of malfunction. Proof – together with peer reviewed knowledge, intelligence reviews and forensic evaluation – point out that it’s extremely possible that in these circumstances the Hen Harrier’s tag has been deliberately broken or destroyed after the chicken has been illegally killed. Regardless of robust indication {that a} crime has been dedicated, within the absence of substantive proof the perpetrator can’t be dropped at justice.

In England, within the final 10 years (2016-2025), 72 satellite tv for pc tagged Hen Harriers – monitored by the RSPB and Pure England – have all of a sudden and suspiciously disappeared. With 85% of those vanishing on or close to land managed for grouse capturing. These incidents point out a a lot wider scale of killing as solely a fraction of the entire Hen Harrier inhabitants is fitted with tags.

All six of the satellite tv for pc tagged Hen Harriers that all of a sudden disappeared in 2025 despatched their ultimate transmission from hotspots – these being areas with earlier chicken of prey incidents in northern England, all dominated by grouse moors. Intelligence means that these crimes are dedicated in an try and maximise the variety of grouse obtainable to be commercially shot for revenue throughout the grouse capturing season.

Tragically, three of the six sat-tagged Hen Harriers which disappeared in 2025 all despatched their ultimate transmissions in September – simply weeks after fledging the nests and inside 13 days of one another. Current scientific analysis has proven that human persecution – the primary trigger for Hen Harriers weak standing – has diminished the lifespan of this uncommon species, with younger birds surviving on common for less than 4 months after leaving the nest.

Along with the six, one Hen Harrier named Ataksak, was confirmed poisoned after its physique was recovered near a grouse moor in North Yorkshire in early January 2025. Toxicological testing revealed that it had died after being uncovered to a deadly pesticide combination, generally known as the ‘Nidderdale Cocktail’. Since 2011 this poison has been linked to the deaths of 15 birds of prey and one canine, all in North Yorkshire.

Mark Thomas, RSPB UK head of investigations mentioned: “Though the suspected persecution of six of our satellite tv for pc tagged Hen Harriers in a single yr is extraordinarily regarding, these birds are sadly simply the most recent in a protracted pattern. Since 2010 over 100 satellite tv for pc tagged Hen Harriers are suspected to have been illegally killed within the UK, with the bulk disappearing on or close to land managed for grouse capturing. As satellite tv for pc tagged Hen Harriers characterize a small proportion of the UK’s complete Hen Harrier inhabitants the true variety of Hen Harriers which are being illegally killed throughout the uplands of the UK is prone to be considerably higher. What we’re seeing is simply the tip of the iceberg.”

The RSPB has been repeatedly calling for the introduction of a sturdy licensing system for all gamebird capturing within the UK. Launched in Scotland for grouse capturing in 2024, this proportionate, low-cost measure would solely penalise these capturing estates the place crimes are being dedicated and assist be certain that this uncommon and weak species receives the safety it so urgently wants.

James Robinson, RSPB Chief Working Officer mentioned: “These newest incidents paint a determined image for Hen Harrier restoration in England. To forestall this sample of killing, and provides this weak species a practical hope of restoration, we urgently want licensing of all gamebird capturing to be launched in England.

Below this proportionate laws if a criminal offense is suspected to have taken place, based mostly on a civil burden of proof, the capturing property can have their licence to shoot revoked – making a significant deterrent in opposition to the sort of wildlife crime. Scotland took this welcome step in 2024 when it launched licensing for grouse capturing. We have to observe their lead and provides Hen Harrier in England the protection they desperately want.”

Members of the general public are urged to report any suspected incidents of chicken of prey persecution by contacting the police on 101 and by submitting a report back to the RSPB. This may be carried out through the RSPB’s on-line reporting type at www.rspb.org.uk/report-crimes or by calling the RSPB’s confidential Raptor Crime Hotline on 0300 999 0101. Stories through the RSPB’s reporting type and Raptor Crime Hotline might be made anonymously.

ENDS

1. Particulars of the seven RSPB satellite tv for pc tagged Hen Harriers which have been confirmed or suspected to have been illegally killed in 2025:
   1. Ataksak was discovered poisoned on a grouse moor in North Yorkshire poisoned with the Nidderdale Cocktail (January 2025). The world the place Ataksak’s physique was discovered is recognised as a chicken of prey persecution hotspot. Within the final ten years 25 confirmed chicken of prey persecution incidents have been recorded on this space, together with Ataksak. These included 4 Hen Harriers, 13 Purple Kites and 5 Buzzards. A satellite tv for pc tagged Hen Harrier additionally disappeared on this space in 2024.
   2. Sita disappeared on 27 February. Her tag despatched its ultimate transmission from a moor south of Reeth, within the northeastern space of the Yorkshire Dales Nationwide Park.
   3. Dynamo was a six-year-old RSPB satellite tv for pc tagged Hen Harrier which suspiciously disappeared while provisioning a nest within the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire in Could 2025. He was one among 4 breeding male Hen Harriers that disappeared in northern England over a interval of eight days – two from RSPB Geltsdale Nature Reserve in Cumbria, and an extra two from the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire.  All of those birds vanished while foraging for meals away from their nest. Primarily based on intelligence reviews and confirmed incidents it’s extremely suspected that these male Hen Harriers have been killed while foraging away from their nest website. The disappearance of the male throughout the breeding season can usually consequence within the feminine abandoning the nest or cut back the variety of chicks which survive.
   4. Wadrew was one among three chicks that efficiently fledged from RSPB Geltdale in the summertime of 2025, raised with the help of RSPB employees and volunteers. When the male dad or mum all of a sudden disappeared while foraging off the reserve (suspected to have been illegally killed) reserve employees and volunteers offered emergency supplementary meals beneath licence. Hen Harrier chicks fledge with RSPB assist after suspicious lack of dad and mom. On 27 September, simply weeks after fledging, Wadrew disappeared while on a grouse moor close to Birkdale, within the north-west of the Yorkshire Dales Nationwide Park. Primarily based on incident knowledge, this space – dominated by grouse moors – is the epicentre for Hen Harrier persecution within the UK. Since 2016, on this space 4 confirmed persecution incidents involving RSPB and Pure England satellite tv for pc tagged Hen Harriers have taken place and 13 satellite tv for pc tagged Hen Harriers have suspiciously disappeared (together with Wadrew) – all suspected to have been persecuted (2016-2025).
   5. Morrigan all of a sudden disappeared on 30 September simply three days after Wadrew’s ultimate transmission and 17 km away, within the southern space of the North Pennines Nationwide Panorama – a infamous chicken of prey persecution hotspot. In the identical space in 2022, considerations have been raised when irregular tag knowledge was despatched from a satellite tv for pc tagged Hen Harrier named Asta. A search of the world result in the invention of Asta’s satellite tv for pc tag, discovered fitted to a lifeless Carrion Crow. The harness was intact. As a tag harness can’t be eliminated intact with out inflicting important hurt to the chicken it was clear that Asta had been illegally killed. Within the final ten years 13 confirmed and suspected chicken of prey persecution incidents have been recorded on this space together with one confirmed incident (the sat-tagged Hen Harrier Asta) and the suspicious disappearance of 10 satellite tv for pc tagged Hen Harriers, together with Morrigan, between 2016 and 2025.
   6. Beatrix: Simply 10 days earlier than Wadrew and Morrigan disappeared, one other younger RSPB satellite tv for pc tagged Hen Harrier, Beatrix, additionally vanished. Beatrix fledged from the Tarras Valley Nature Reserve in Scotland in the summertime and dispersed south into the North Pennines, settling in an space dominated by grouse moor close to Allendale. Her sat-tag despatched its ultimate transmission from this location on 17 September. This space is one other recognised persecution hotspot for Hen Harriers with 4 satellite tv for pc tagged Hen Harriers confirmed to have been persecuted and 6 satellite tv for pc tagged birds (together with Beatrix) suspiciously disappearing within the space (2016-2025).
   7. Purple: In January 2025, eight months earlier, a one-year-old Scottish Hen Harrier that had additionally fledged from the Tarras Valley nature reserve, named Purple, disappeared in one other a part of the North Pennines in County Durham. One other satellite tv for pc tagged Hen Harrier, named Sia, disappeared in the identical space in 2022.

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