Britain’s Protected Raptors Continue to Fall Victim to Illegal Persecution, RSPB Warns

Despite decades of statutory safeguards, Britain’s most endangered birds of prey remain targets for illegal killing, according to a new report from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). The charity’s findings, set for release on Wednesday, document 921 verified incidents of persecution between 2015 and 2024. The RSPB notes that over half of these attacks occurred on or adjacent to estates managed specifically for game shooting.

Mark Thomas, who leads the RSPB’s investigations unit, attributed the violence to financial motives, explaining that predators are often eliminated to protect young pheasants, partridges, and grouse from being eaten. This ensures a higher number of birds survive for paying customers to shoot. While shooting organizations firmly reject claims that such persecution is systemic, characterizing it as the work of a "small minority" that they condemn entirely, the RSPB is urging stricter regulatory measures. Specifically, the charity is calling for a licensing regime for gamebird shooting in England and Wales, arguing that estates must face more severe penalties when protected species are harmed on their property.

The species targeted include eagles, red kites, peregrine falcons, barn owls, goshawks, and hen harriers. The RSPB maintains a rigorous standard for its data, classifying an incident as "confirmed" only when supported by forensic analysis, eyewitness testimony, or video proof. Its investigations team, comprising former police officers and ornithological experts, utilizes tools such as hidden cameras to identify suspects. This approach has yielded tangible results; this year alone, the RSPB helped secure three convictions. Two of these cases involved birds, specifically a buzzard and a goshawk, being beaten to death after being caught in traps. While certain live-capture traps are legally permitted for pest control of species like crows and pigeons, regulations require them to be checked frequently and non-target animals to be released unharmed.

The third conviction stemmed from covert surveillance at a hen harrier roost in the Yorkshire Dales. Investigators captured evidence of a plot to kill one of the UK’s rarest raptors. Footage showed head gamekeeper Racster Dingwall arriving with a shotgun, while hidden audio recorded discussions about killing other protected birds and potentially satellite-tagging a harrier. Dingwall subsequently admitted to offenses related to the attempted killing of a protected hen harrier and was fined £1,520.

Although the RSPB acknowledges a recent decline in recorded incidents, it argues that criminal prosecutions alone are insufficient to address the long-term trend. The organization advocates for licensing gamebird shooting in England and Wales, mirroring the system currently in place for red grouse shooting in Scotland. Under this proposed model, licenses could be suspended or revoked based on the civil standard of proof, even in cases where criminal prosecution is not feasible.

Shooting groups strongly oppose these proposals. Dr. Marnie Lovejoy of the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) told the BBC that the focus should be on enhancing law enforcement to prosecute offenders, stating, "They have no place in the modern shooting community." Lovejoy argued that licensing would impose redundant regulations on an already legal activity and penalize responsible estates. She highlighted the sector's economic and environmental contributions, noting that it invests approximately £500 million annually in conservation—equivalent to 26,000 full-time jobs and 14 million workdays, according to BASC estimates.

The government has not endorsed the RSPB’s licensing proposal but has committed to collaborating with the shooting industry and other stakeholders to explore broader measures, including potential licensing frameworks. A spokesperson for Defra stated, "Many estates already meet high environmental standards, and we want all estates to achieve these same high standards."

Professor Davy McCracken of Scotland’s Rural College, who has studied upland management and wildlife for 35 years, suggests that the friction between raptor conservation and grouse shooting is fundamentally economic: "That is where the root of the conflict ac"

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-05-25 23:35:26 UTC