Hen harrier's disappearance 'suspicious', RSPB says

Hilma the hen harrier fledged from a nest in the Scottish borders

A rare hen harrier has disappeared in what the RSPB has described as "suspicious circumstances".

The bird, named Hilma, fledged from a nest on Forestry Commission Scotland-owned land in the Scottish Borders, and was fitted with a satellite tag.

The tag was transmitting regularly when it inexplicably stopped on 8 August near Wooler, Northumberland.

The RSPB said it was the second such disappearance in the county in the past year and it had informed police.

The charity regularly uses satellite tagging technology to follow the movements of the birds and tags continue to transmit regularly, even when it dies.

It described the "sudden and unexpected" ending of transmission as "suspicious and could suggest criminal interference".

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In recent weeks satellite-tagged hen harriers have also vanished suddenly in the Peak District and north Wales.

Dr Cathleen Thomas, from the RSPB, said: "It's devastating not only for those of us involved in watching and protecting them, but also to the local environment, as the numbers of one of our rarest birds of prey continues to decline."