138 Hen Harriers confirmed missing or illegally killed Since 2018
Conservationists demand urgent enforcement as satellite data reveals entrenched pattern of raptor persecution
that had been placed next to his nest on a Scottish grouse moor (© Ruth Tingay)
A devastating toll on a protected species
Since 2018, at least 138 Hen Harriers Circus cyaneus have been confirmed as either missing in suspicious circumstances or illegally killed across the UK. The figures, published by Raptor Persecution UK in April 2025, paint a deeply concerning picture of systematic persecution targeting one of Britain’s most intensively monitored raptors.
A clear pattern around driven grouse moors
Of those 138 cases, a significant majority occurred on or close to land managed for driven grouse shooting—a habitat type repeatedly associated with bird of prey disappearances. Satellite tracking has made it possible to detect sudden and unexplained losses of tagged individuals, many of which vanish without a trace in areas dominated by shooting estates.
The four most recent losses—female harriers named Dina, R3-F2-22, Bonnie, and Gill—disappeared between January and April 2025. All had been fitted with GPS tags, allowing conservationists to monitor their movements in near real time. In each case, transmission ceased abruptly in locations where raptor persecution has previously been documented.
Scientific evidence reinforces long-held suspicions
A landmark peer-reviewed study in 2019 confirmed that 72% of satellite-tagged Hen Harriers were either confirmed or strongly suspected to have been illegally killed. More striking still, the study found that the risk of such persecution was ten times higher on or near grouse moors than elsewhere.
These findings echoed the real life experience of conservationists and fieldworkers who have monitored upland bird populations for decades. While a minority of estates participate in lawful conservation work, the broader pattern suggests that persecution remains deeply embedded in parts of the game-shooting sector.
Policy measures fall short
Among the 138 Hen Harriers lost since 2018, at least 31 were part of Natural England’s controversial brood management scheme—a programme intended to reduce conflict by relocating chicks from grouse moors. Critics have long argued that the scheme legitimises raptor removal without addressing the underlying problem: illegal killing. The continued disappearance of these birds supports concerns that relocation alone offers little protection once birds fledge and disperse.
New legislation in Scotland brings cautious hope
In Scotland, where many of the disappearances have occurred, the government passed the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024. The legislation introduces a licensing regime for grouse moors, enabling authorities to suspend or revoke shoot licences if there is evidence linking an estate to wildlife crime.
The move has been welcomed by conservation organisations, but many remain concerned about enforcement. Without transparent, timely investigations and meaningful penalties, they warn that raptor persecution may continue behind a veil of impunity.
Calls for national consistency and accountability
England, Wales, and Northern Ireland currently lack equivalent licensing laws, creating what conservationists describe as a “patchwork of protection” that varies by jurisdiction. Bird protection charities are now calling for harmonised legislation across the UK, combined with better resourcing for police wildlife crime units and a commitment to publishing outcomes from investigations.
Despite the clear legal protections afforded to Hen Harriers under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, prosecution rates remain vanishingly low. Satellite-tagged birds provide compelling circumstantial evidence—but without direct enforcement action, few perpetrators are ever brought to justice.
The fight continues
As public awareness of raptor persecution grows, conservation groups continue to track, report, and campaign for the protection of Hen Harriers and other birds of prey. The cumulative loss of 138 individuals over seven years is not only a conservation tragedy but a stark indictment of the failure to uphold existing wildlife law.
The Hen Harrier, once a widespread breeder in Britain’s uplands, remains on the brink in England and faces serious pressures elsewhere in the UK. Its future may depend not only on habitat and food, but on the political will to tackle organised criminality in the countryside.
For full details and an evolving case log, visit Raptor Persecution UK.
A petition to ban driven grouse shooting remains live until 22 May 2025, you can sign it here
29 April 2025
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