Red Kite found poisoned in Cairngorms National Park
Police Scotland is appealing for information after tests established that a protected raptor found at Morven Hill near Dinnet had been poisoned.
A Red Kite found dead within Cairngorms National Park has been confirmed as the victim of poisoning, prompting a Police Scotland appeal for information.
A member of the public discovered the protected raptor at Morven Hill, near Dinnet in Aberdeenshire, on 30 June. Subsequent enquiries and toxicological examination established that the bird had been poisoned.
Police announced the result on 31 August. They have not disclosed which substance was involved, whether a poisoned bait was recovered or whether investigators have identified a suspect.
“Poisoning a bird or animal is not only cruel and callous, but it can harm other wildlife as well as members of the public.”
Constable Ann Ashman, Police Scotland
Red Kites are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is an offence to intentionally kill, injure or take a wild bird, while the possession or use of certain poisons and poisoned baits can constitute further offences.
The force warned people not to touch dead animals or suspicious substances. Poison placed in an open landscape can kill scavenging birds and mammals indiscriminately, and may also present a risk to dogs and people.
Officers are asking anyone who was in the Morven Hill area around 30 June and noticed suspicious activity, vehicles, dead wildlife or bait to come forward. Information can be provided to Police Scotland by calling 101 and quoting incident 2910 of 30 June 2026.
Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
The location sits within the Cairngorms National Park landscape, but police have not connected the death to a particular estate, land use or individual. No motive has been announced, and speculation could impede the live investigation.
Red Kites were driven to extinction in Scotland during the nineteenth century before reintroduction began in 1989. Their recovery has become one of Britain's most visible conservation successes, but illegal poisoning and shooting continue to kill birds in parts of their range.
The police appeal remains active. Anyone encountering a dead bird of prey should leave it in place, avoid contaminating possible evidence and report the location promptly.
3 Sep 2026
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