England's rarest bird of prey perilously close to being lost

[WD-40]

News from the RSPB site

This year has seen the worst hen harrier breeding figures since monitoring began and its status as an English breeding bird is now on the brink.

A harsh winter and a possible shortage of prey in spring meant some pairs failed to breed, while those that did had fewer chicks.

While there is no evidence of illegal killing or nest destruction associated with this year’s breeding failures, it is illegal persecution that has led to today’s critically low breeding numbers and patchy distribution.

As a result, hen harriers are even more vulnerable to chance natural events.

Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB’s Director of Conservation, said: “We always feared that with hen harrier numbers kept so low, the English population was extremely vulnerable to a bad year like this.

"There can be no place in England's future for the illegal killing of birds of prey. Land owners and other shooting groups need to show real commitment and start working with Natural England, RSPB and BASC to implement legal solutions such as diversionary feeding.”
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[rolf]

I still manage to see these striking birds at my Sister's place in France, it is a great shame that they are so at risk in the UK.