Eight hen harrier chicks discovered at Lancashire estate

Illegal killings and habitat destruction are threatening the hen harrier in England

Rare hen harrier chicks have hatched in a Lancashire beauty spot for the first time in three years.

Eight chicks were discovered by RSPB wardens inspecting two nests on the United Utilities-owned Bowland Estate in the Ribble Valley.

A single male hen harrier is responsible for feeding and tending the chicks in both nests.

The RSPB said it was "fantastic news" for the bird of prey which it said was on the verge of extinction in England.

There were just three successful breeding pairs in 2017, according to the charity's latest figures.

James Bray, the RSPB's Bowland Project Officer, said: "It's an incredibly nerve-wracking time for all involved in protecting these birds, especially for the team that have been constantly monitoring the birds since they arrived on the estate in April.

Skydancing

Males of the species are strikingly different in appearance

"The male hen harrier is doing a fantastic job of keeping the chicks in both nests well fed and we're doing all that we can to ensure that they fledge safely."

Hen harriers live primarily on heather moorland and are known for the male's spectacular aerobatic courtship ritual known as skydancing.

But illegal killings, along with destruction of their habitat, are thought to be behind the collapse of their population. Numbers fell from twelve pairs in 2010 to just four in 2016.

Bowland used to be known as England's last remaining stronghold for breeding hen harriers. The new arrivals are the area's first successful breedings since 2015 when a single chick fledged.

The males are easily identified by their black wing tips. The females look completely different, with puffy brown plumage that helps camouflage them and their nests.