28th September
By Mike Sheridan
Powys has the second highest
number of attacks against birds of prey in the United Kingdom over the past
five years, according to new figures.
The 'BirdCrime' report authored
by the RSPB and released this week shows there were 68 confirmed incidents of
bird of prey persecution in the UK during 2017, but the charity says many
illegal killings are going undetected or unreported.
In Powys three incidents of Red
Kite poisonings were recorded and a rare Peregrine Falcon, a Schedule 1 listed
species protected by law, was shot between Llanfair and Berriew.
The county saw 25 confirmed bird
of prey persecution incidents in the period between 2012 and 2017 – quite a
distance ahead of the next highest county in Wales, Conwy, with four.
Bob Elliot, RSPB Head of
Investigations, said: "The persecution of birds of prey is a widespread
problem in the UK, and is affecting some of our most loved and vulnerable
species, like owls and eagles.
"Every week the RSPB’s
Investigations team get reports of yet another raptor being shot, trapped or
poisoned. But for every report we receive, scientific studies suggest there are
many more that go undetected and unreported. As such, these figures only
scratch the surface of the true extent of raptor persecution in the UK."
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