Birds of prey being illegally shot, poisoned and trapped, charity says

White-tailed eagles are the UK's largest birds of prey and afforded protection under law

Dozens of birds of prey were illegally shot, poisoned or trapped in the UK last year, conservationists have said.

The RSPB's annual bird crime report found there were 108 cases of bird of prey persecution, notably in Dorset, Norfolk and Yorkshire.

The report found 71% of cases were related to land managed for gamebird shooting.

But the RSPB said the numbers were only the tip of the iceberg.

It said many killings of birds of prey go undetected and unreported.

The annual survey included 41 shootings or attempted shootings, 32 poisonings and 18 trappings, along with illegal nest destruction.

A total of 91 birds were affected, including buzzards, red kites, peregrines, and goshawks, as well as a hen harrier, white-tailed eagle, golden eagle, sparrowhawks and a number of owls.

'Deliberate destruction'

All birds of prey are protected by law but they can be seen as a threat to stocks of pheasants, partridge or grouse by those involved in gamebird shooting, the RSPB said.

Norfolk, Dorset and Yorkshire, which are popular with such shooting, recorded the highest number of incidents, with 13,12 and 10 cases respectively.

Five individuals, all gamekeepers, were prosecuted in 2021 for offences relating to bird of prey persecution, the report said.

One of the young sea eagles found dead in Dorset in late January, it was found to contain high levels of poison

It also warned there had been a surge in the detection of rat poison brodifacoum at well beyond lethal levels, suggesting a deliberate misuse to target birds of prey.

A rare white-tailed eagle was discovered in Dorset with seven times the lethal dose of brodifacoum, the RSPB said, although a police investigation failed to prove it was deliberate.

Among the confirmed incidents was a golden eagle found poisoned, lying beside a dead hare laced with the same banned pesticide, on a grouse shooting estate in Scotland.

In Wales, RSPB officers assisted a police investigation into a poisoned red kite and a shot buzzard and found 18 toxic pesticides, many of which are banned, stored on a pheasant shooting estate.

The report also noted a "mass grave" of at least 11 buzzards and four red kites was found down a well on a pheasant shoot in Wiltshire.

Scotland is now thought to be home to the UK's entire population of golden eagles

The RSPB's Mark Thomas said the "deliberate destruction" of protected species was "devastating and unacceptable".

"The data in this report clearly show that raptor persecution remains at a sustained high level, especially in England, with over two thirds of the incidents connected to land managed for gamebird shooting," he added.

"The illegal shooting, trapping and poisoning of birds of prey has no place in modern society."

The Countryside Alliance, which campaigns for field sports, said it had "zero tolerance" for the illegal killing of birds of prey.

Director Adrian Blackmore said: "While many reports of such persecution have proven to be false, [it] continues to be carried out by a small minority of irresponsible individuals who must be condemned."