Breeding Season in Jeopardy at Geltsdale as two harriers 'disappear' - presumed killed
Disappearances spark renewed outcry over illegal persecution near English grouse moors, as RSPB calls for urgent licensing reform
(© Gary Thoburn)
Two males lost, one nesting season at risk
In a deeply worrying development, two male Hen Harriers have vanished from their nest sites at RSPB Geltsdale in Northern England within a matter of days. The RSPB has confirmed that both birds, vital to the survival of their respective broods, have not returned, raising serious concerns about foul play in the surrounding grouse moorlands.
The incident follows a grim pattern: just last spring, another Geltsdale male Hen Harrier was found shot dead on a neighbouring estate. These back-to-back disappearances now threaten to derail the 2025 breeding season at one of England’s most important Hen Harrier nesting sites.
Male vanishing act - a familiar and deadly trendAlthough disappearances of this nature have become a known threat to Hen Harriers across the UK, the sudden loss of two breeding males in quick succession is particularly alarming. Male Hen Harriers provide all food for the female and chicks during the early stages of nesting. With the males gone, the RSPB has stepped in to feed at least one of the nests in a desperate bid to save the young.
“Although sadly we are used to crimes against Hen Harriers, it is truly sickening to lose these particular birds from Geltsdale in such a short space of time and with them our hopes of a successful breeding season,” said Beccy Speight, RSPB Chief Executive. “The last five years have seen 102 suspected or confirmed crimes against Hen Harriers, most of them on or near grouse moors.”
Illegal killing remains the leading threat
Hen Harriers are legally protected and red-listed in the UK, their status a reflection of decades of persecution and habitat loss. Despite conservation efforts, survival remains bleak for many of these birds. A 2023 study led by Ewing et al. found that UK Hen Harriers survive on average just 121 days after fledging. Between 27 and 41 percent of deaths in birds under one year old, and up to 75 percent in juveniles between one and two years, were linked to illegal killing. These deaths are strongly associated with areas dominated by grouse shooting estates.
Geltsdale is surrounded by such estates, and it is here that multiple male Hen Harriers have either been confirmed shot or vanished in recent years - in 2020, 2021, 2023, and now 2025. One of the missing birds last year, named Dagda, was found shot on the Knarsdale Estate. No one was held accountable.
Calls grow for reform and accountability
The RSPB is renewing its call for the licensing of grouse shooting in England, following the example set in Scotland. Under the proposed system, any estate found to be breaking wildlife laws would risk losing its licence. This, the charity argues, would create a meaningful deterrent while allowing responsible shoots to continue unhindered.
“If these magnificent birds are ever going to have a sustainable population in England, this killing has to stop,” said Speight. “We need the immediate introduction of a licensing system for grouse shooting, so estates proven by the Police and Natural England to be linked to raptor persecution would simply lose their licence to operate.”
Public urged to act
In response to the latest incident, the RSPB is encouraging members of the public to email their MP and demand action to protect upland raptors. The charity is also appealing for information from anyone who might know about illegal killing of birds of prey, with anonymous reports accepted via the confidential Raptor Crime Hotline (0300 999 0101).
The disappearances have been reported to the Police, but campaigners warn that without political will and systemic change, more birds will continue to vanish silently into the upland mist.
To support the campaign or report a suspected crime, visit the RSPB's wild bird crime page: https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/wild-bird-crime-report-form/
21 May 2025
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