Conservationists call for stricter laws before hen harriers become extinct

The RSPB blamed the demise of the bird of prey, which is teetering on the brink of extinction as a breeding species in England and in decline across the UK, on illegal persecution.

It is claiming the birds are targeted on moors managed for grouse shooting, because they are predators of the grouse, keeping numbers unnaturally low.

According to a survey conducted in 2008, only five pairs of hen harriers nested successfully on grouse moors in Scotland and England, despite the habitat being able to support 500 pairs.

The latest nationwide study found there were an estimated 646 pairs of hen harriers nesting in the UK and the Isle of Man in 2010, down 20 per cent on the 806 pairs nesting in 2004.

There was little change in England, where the population rose from 11 pairs in 2004 to 12 pairs last year, while in Scotland numbers fell by almost 23 per cent over the six years.

In Wales, where there are no grouse moors and very few records of persecution of hen harriers, the number of pairs of the bird of prey rose from 43 in 2004 to 57 last year, the RSPB said.

The charity is calling for new steps to protect the hen harrier from persecution, such as making landowners legally accountable for bird of prey crimes committed by their gamekeepers.

A Defra spokesman said: “Stopping the persecution of hen harriers and other birds of prey is one of the national wildlife crime unit’s top priorities.