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In the United Kingdom, raptor persecution is a crime against wildlife. The offence includes poisoning, shooting, trapping, and nest destruction or disturbance of
Birds of prey are protected species in the 
In the United Kingdom, raptor persecution is a crime against wildlife. The offence includes poisoning, shooting, trapping, and nest destruction or disturbance of birds of prey
Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predators ...
.
International context
There is a long history of game bird shooting and hunting for sport, and the international trafficking of wildlife products, including raptors and raptorfeather
Feathers are epidermal growths that form a distinctive outer covering, or plumage, on both avian (bird) and some non-avian dinosaurs and other archosaurs. They are the most complex integumentary structures found in vertebrates and a premier ...
s, is a billion-dollar industry. Understanding and suppressing raptor persecution is complex, because the reasons behind it are shaped by local, cultural and historic conditions.
In some countries raptors are hunted for use in falconry
Falconry is the hunting of wild animals in their natural state and habitat by means of a trained bird of prey. Small animals are hunted; squirrels and rabbits often fall prey to these birds. Two traditional terms are used to describe a person ...
. In China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, people capture eagles and other raptors for falconry festivals that attract tourists. In Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, buzzards and hawks are at risk, and the red kite
The red kite (''Milvus milvus'') is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species currently breeds in the Western Palearctic region o ...
is endangered. In the European Union, the EU Birds Directive (Council Directive 79/409/EEC 1979) regulates the hunting of all wild birds, stating that they must not be caught, killed or persecuted (with the exception of proper hunting). Campaigning groups in Germany have identified hunting and poaching hotspots on migratory routes across the continent. Persecution increased across Europe during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
United Kingdom
Birds of prey are protected species in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, and criminal offences against them are covered by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom implemented to comply with European Council Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds. In short, the act gives protection to native species (especia ...
. But it is a crime that is difficult to monitor, due to the remoteness of many of the areas in which the birds live and cultural and social pressures in certain sectors of the rural community which discourage reporting. Incidents of egg thefts and illegal killings of birds of prey, including red kites, peregrine falcon
The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known as the peregrine, and historically as the duck hawk in North America, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (Bird of prey, raptor) in the family (biology), family Falco ...
s and barn owl
The barn owl (''Tyto alba'') is the most widely distributed species of owl in the world and one of the most widespread of all species of birds, being found almost everywhere except for the polar and desert regions, Asia north of the Himalaya ...
s, increased in England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
during the lockdown periods of the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
as the absence of the public emboldened gamekeepers and miscreants. In Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
, however, the number of offences has decreased, as egg thefts have fallen dramatically there.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a charitable organisation registered in England and Wales and in Scotland. It was founded in 1889. It works to promote conservation and protection of birds and the wider environment throug ...
(RSPB) began recording raptor persecution in 1990. Their ''Birdcrime'' report covers known offences against birds of prey. The report describes this crime as widespread and relentless, but results in very few convictions. In 2020 the RSPB confirmed 137 incidents. Many of the confirmed incidents occurred on land managed for gamebird shooting.
The Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme works to improve co-operation between organisations involved in raptor monitoring in Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. Founded in 1980, The Scottish Raptor Study Group monitor and record the fortunes of raptor species across Scotland. Since 2002 they have produced an annual report. In the Scottish Raptor Monitor Scheme common raven
A raven is any of several larger-bodied bird species of the genus ''Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between "crows" and "ravens", common names which are assigned t ...
s are included as honorary raptors because they are ecologically similar.
Golden eagle
The golden eagle (''Aquila chrysaetos'') is a bird of prey living in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the most widely distributed species of eagle. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. They are one of the best-known bird of p ...
s are being reintroduced in southern Scotland.
North Yorkshire has particularly high raptor persecution levels. The survival of the hen harrier
The hen harrier (''Circus cyaneus'') is a bird of prey. It breeds in Eurasia. The term "hen harrier" refers to its former habit of preying on free-ranging fowl.
It migrates to more southerly areas in winter. Eurasian birds move to southern Eur ...
in the UK is of particular concern as one of Britain's most endangered birds because of illegal persecution. Hen harriers share space with grouse, and research shows that hen harriers fare best on those estates with no shooting interests. The interests of conservationists often clash with gamekeepers and landowners.
The Welsh Government
The Welsh Government ( cy, Llywodraeth Cymru) is the Welsh devolution, devolved government of Wales. The government consists of ministers and Minister (government), deputy ministers, and also of a Counsel General for Wales, counsel general. Minist ...
began funding an RSPB Raptor Officer in 2020.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI; ga, Seirbhís Póilíneachta Thuaisceart Éireann; Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster-Scots: ')
is the police, police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabu ...
investigate incidents in relation to the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 and the Wildlife & Natural Environment Act (Northern Ireland) 2011. No-one has ever been successfully prosecuted for raptor persecution offences in Northern Ireland.
In 2020 the British Association for Shooting and Conservation
The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) is a registered society under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014, whose mission is to promote and protect sporting shooting and the well-being of the countrysid ...
and other country sports groups including the Countryside Alliance
The Countryside Alliance (CA) is a British organisation promoting issues relating to the countryside such as farming, rural services, small businesses and field sports, aiming to "Give Rural Britain a voice".
History
The Countryside Alliance ...
, the Moorland Association, the National Gamekeepers' Organisation declared "zero tolerance" against raptor persecution.{{Cite web , date=29 January 2020 , title=Rural group issues raptor persecution 'zero tolerance' declaration , url=https://www.moorlandassociation.org/2020/01/rural-group-issues-raptor-persecution-zero-tolerance-declaration/ , access-date=27 February 2022 , website=Moorland Association , language=en-GB
References