Published
by Minster FM News at 1:31pm 21st January
2019.
The
police and the RSPB are investigating the sudden disappearance of yet another
satellite tagged hen harrier in North Yorkshire, the county with the worst reputation
for bird of prey persecution.
The bird,
named River, was one of several hen harrier chicks in England fitted with a
satellite tag as part of the RSPB’s Hen Harrier LIFE project last summer.
These
lightweight tags allow the RSPB to monitor the birds after they fledge.
Her tag’s
last known transmission came from a driven grouse moor between Colsterdale and
Nidderdale – an area with a history of bird of prey persecution – on 14
November.
She was
known to have been hunting and roosting in the area for several weeks. RSPB
Investigations staff and North Yorkshire Police searched the area, but there
was no sign of the bird or the tag. She has not been heard from since.
All birds
of prey are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. To kill or injure
one is a criminal offence and could result in an unlimited fine or up to six
months in jail. North Yorkshire Police investigated the disappearance, but no
information has been forthcoming.
Hen
harriers are rare birds which nest in moorland, especially in the uplands of
Northern England and Scotland. However just nine nests were recorded in England
last year, despite enough prey and habitat to support over 300 pairs. They have
not successfully bred in North Yorkshire since 2007.
Over 30
hen harriers were tagged last summer in the UK. Between August and November
2018, nine of these, including a 10th bird tagged in 2017, disappeared at
different locations in the UK.
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