We look at the RSPB’s latest Birdcrime report, documenting the illegal killing of birds of prey.
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For the first time, the RSPB Birdcrime report looks at 15 years of data, giving a broader view of this continuing problem which is affecting some of our most magnificent and vulnerable species.
All birds of prey are protected by law under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. However, birds such as Golden Eagles, Hen Harriers, Peregrines, White-tailed Eagles and Goshawks continue to be deliberately shot, trapped and poisoned, often in brutal ways.
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 numbers only include confirmed incidents: the number of probable or unconfirmed incidents of raptor crime in this period reaches beyond 5,000, and those which were never reported or recorded will be higher still. Population studies, police intelligence and crime data show there are many more crimes involving birds of prey going on undetected, unrecorded and unpunished, often in remote locations. As such it is impossible to know the full scale of the problem. But what’s certain is that raptor crime shows no sign of stopping and will continue without urgent, meaningful action.
In the period 2009-2023, the confirmed victims included:
586 Buzzards
270 Red Kites
154 Peregrines
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 poisoned in County Antrim, Northern Ireland in 2023. Laying poisoned baits, which are incredibly dangerous to people and pets, is illegal, yet a common technique used to kill birds of prey.
Last year, an eyewitness described the unhappy experience of seeing a Short-eared Owl shot in front of his eyes on a grouse moor in the Peak District. While in 2019, the body of a satellite tagged Hen Harrier, known as Rannoch, was found dead in a spring trap on a grouse moor in Perthshire.
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.
Scientific studies reach the same conclusion. A landmark paper (Ewing et al, 2023) published in Biological Conservation revealed that the illegal killing of Hen Harriers associated with gamebird management accounts for up to three-quarters of Hen Harrier annual mortality.
And of all individuals convicted of bird of prey persecution-related offences between 2009 and 2023, 75% were connected to the gamebird shooting industry.
To end this culture of criminality, the RSPB is calling for the licensing of all gamebird shooting across the UK by Westminster and all of the devolved administrations, building on the work already started in Scotland to license grouse shooting.
The Wildlife Management and Muirburn Act, passed in March 2024, means all grouse shoots in Scotland now require a licence to operate, and that this licence could be revoked if a crime is committed. This progressive legislation will help ensure legal and sustainable management across a significant area of upland Scotland and introduces a much-needed deterrent for those who kill birds of prey for economic reasons.
Beccy Speight, RSPB Chief Executive, said:
“For decades, the RSPB has investigated hundreds of cases of illegal bird of prey persecution in the UK. A significant proportion of these incidents happen on or near land associated with gamebird shooting.
“The RSPB is calling on the Westminster Government and all devolved administrations across the UK to introduce the licensing of gamebird shooting. This progressive step will help challenge the relentless killing of our birds of prey and help to safeguard their future survival.”
The latest Birdcrime report shows that birds of prey are still being shot, trapped and poisoned across the UK. Please support the RSPB’s Investigations Team today and help us keep these magnificent birds in our skies, where they belong.
How to help
Jenny Shelton from the RSPB Investigations team asks who is killing our vulnerable birds of prey, why are they doing it, and what can we do to stop them?
Read the Birdcrime report here.
The Birdcrime report is the only comprehensive report documenting bird of prey persecution in the UK. It is based on evidence gathered in the field by RSPB Investigations Officers, intelligence reports and information RSPB Investigations receive from members of the public, as well as government data (Natural England and HSE Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme), police reports and court prosecutions.
