Hen Harrier Recovery and Persecution

The hen harrier is one of Britain's most persecuted birds of prey, with illegal killing on grouse moors preventing population recovery despite full legal protection.

Key Facts

England's hen harrier population has been repeatedly driven to functional extinction on grouse moors
Natural nesting success would support around 300+ breeding pairs in England; actual numbers are a tiny fraction
Hen harriers are protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
Illegal killing - shooting, trapping, and nest destruction - occurs on grouse moors
Natural England's Brood Management Scheme controversially licenses nest interference
RSPB satellite tracking has documented suspicious disappearances of tagged birds over grouse moors
A raptor persecution crisis declaration has been called for by over 100 wildlife organisations

Welfare Considerations

Hen harrier persecution is among Britain's most serious wildlife crime issues. Illegal killing is suspected to occur systematically across large areas of managed grouse moor, with tagged birds frequently disappearing in circumstances consistent with deliberate destruction. Individual welfare impacts include shooting, trapping in pole traps, and destruction of nests containing eggs and chicks. The population-level welfare consequence is a species whose recovery is being actively suppressed by illegal human activity. The failure to prosecute this crime effectively - due to the difficulty of detection in remote upland areas - means the welfare harm continues at scale year after year.

What You Can Do

Support RSPB and Raptor Persecution UK campaigns for effective enforcement
Avoid purchasing driven grouse products until persecution is demonstrably ended
Report any suspected raptor persecution to the police wildlife crime unit
Support calls for licensing of grouse moor management as a deterrent mechanism
Join citizen science surveys of upland raptors to document population trends