Body of rare hen harrier found mutilated in Yorkshire Dales in sickening attack

The body of a hen harrier – one of Britain’s rarest birds of prey – has been found mutilated in an attack Natural England said it is “sickened” by.
Victoria Finan
By Victoria Finan
Published 5th May 2023, 00:00 GMT

The bird’s body was discovered in the area near Birkdale in the Yorkshire Dales, with its head and leg removed.

Twenty other harriers, including 15 birds that were part of satellite-tagged tracking projects, have also disappeared across Northern England in the past year.

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Hen Harriers are on the red list of birds of conservation concern in the UK, with the last national survey in 2016 recording 545 pairs in the UK – a decline of 13 per cent since 2010.

Twenty other harriers, including 15 birds that were part of satellite-tagged tracking projects, have also disappeared across Northern England in the past year.Twenty other harriers, including 15 birds that were part of satellite-tagged tracking projects, have also disappeared across Northern England in the past year.
Twenty other harriers, including 15 birds that were part of satellite-tagged tracking projects, have also disappeared across Northern England in the past year.

The bird found had been a Natural England (NE) tagged hen harrier named Free, and expert veterinary assessment concluded the bird has been killed through traumatic removal of its head and leg, whilst alive.

A Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) satellite-tagged Hen Harrier named Pegasus has also vanished whilst on Birkdale, along with another hen harrier, NE tagged bird Harvey, vanished in this area. The police carried out a search warrant in connection with the incidents, but the ensuing investigation failed to lead to charges.

Since the investigation launched the same area – used for grouse shooting – has also seen the disappearance of a further four satellite-tagged hen harriers.

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RSPB’s conservation director Katie-jo Luxton said: “These 21 birds represent a significant proportion of the existing English Hen Harrier population.

"The Government’s own study found illegal killing to be the main reason preventing the recovery of this species, and these recent events indicate that the situation has yet to improve for this rare and beautiful bird.”

Natural England Strategy Director John Holmes said: "We are sickened by this evidence of persecution, which remains a serious issue and needs more focus and action from the police, businesses, landowners, and game management interests.

"We will continue all efforts to track down tags that stop transmitting, as our dedicated staff did in the case of Free, and to support the police in their role of bringing the perpetrators of these crimes to justice"