Disappearance of rare bird suspicious - RSPB

The young female hen harrier, named Helius, hatched last summer in Bowland

A rare bird has disappeared "in suspicious circumstances", the RSPB has said.

The young female hen harrier, named Helius, hatched last summer in Bowland, Lancashire, and was fitted with a satellite tag which allowed the RSPB to monitor its movements after fledging.

The tag showed the bird to be exploring the wider Forest of Bowland area, spending time on the United Utilities estate and neighbouring moorland until it suddenly stopped transmitting on 1 August.

The RSPB said it suspected "human interference".

No trace

The National Wildlife Crime Unit and Lancashire Police have been informed and a search has taken place, but no trace of Helius or the tag have been found.

Howard Jones, RSPB senior investigations officer, said: “Satellite tags continue to transmit even after a bird dies, allowing us to locate the bird’s body.

"But when a tag suddenly stops transmitting, with no sign of malfunction, and then cannot be located, this is deemed highly suspicious.

"Too many of these birds are disappearing in suspicious circumstances, and it is having a heavy impact on the species as a whole.”

Hen harriers are rare breeding birds in the UK, known for their acrobatic skydancing courtship displays.

Illegal persecution over recent decades has reduced their population from 25 successful nests in 2024, down from 36 in 2023, the RSPB said.

The charity has been tagging hen harriers for over a decade to help with conservation efforts and said in 2023, 34 tagged birds were either killed or disappeared in suspicious circumstances, many of them in connection with land managed for driven grouse shooting.