News

Three Hen Harriers have vanished in close proximity to the Glorious Twelfth, the official beginning of the Red Grouse shooting season. This critical time ensures the grouse population is at its peak for a successful season. Hen Harriers are a rare and protected species known for their impressive courtship display.

The Hen Harrier is classified as a red-listed species in the UK due to its low numbers. Apollo, a Hen Harrier, has migrated from Bowland, Lancashire to Extrremadura, Spain twice in two years. In contrast, his brother Dynamo has traveled less than 50 miles during the same period.

Martha, a one-year-old female Hen Harrier, was tagged at Mar Lodge in Aberdeenshire. Her last transmission was received from Westburnhope Moor near Hexham, in North Pennines on August 9, 2023. Selena, a juvenile female tagged in Bowland, was last detected on Mossdale Moor near Hawes in the Yorkshire Dales on August 11, 2023.

Hepit, another young female Hen Harrier, was also tagged in Bowland before moving to the Yorkshire Dales. Her final transmission was traced to Birkdale Common near Kirkby Stephen on August 15, 2023. Tragically, this area has seen the disappearance or discovery of nine other satellite-tagged Hen Harriers with injuries consistent with persecution since September 2020.

The RSPB’s chief executive, Beccy Speight, expressed concern over the simultaneous disappearances of these Hen Harriers on driven grouse moors. She emphasized the importance of ensuring the survival of these magnificent birds for a sustainable population in England.

All three incidents have been reported to the police and the National Wildlife Crime Unit. If you have information regarding the illegal killing of birds of prey, you can report it anonymously through the RSPB’s confidential Raptor Crime Hotline at 0300 999 0101.

The post Three Hen Harriers Disappear Near Shooting Season Start appeared first on satProviders.