Illegal killing of birds of prey in Wales must end, urges report

Birds of prey such as Red Kites, Goshawks and Hen Harriers continue to be brutally and illegally killed in Wales, with poisoning the most common method used.

The Birdcrime report, published today (23 October), reveals that between 2009-2023 there were 1,529 confirmed bird of prey persecution incidents involving 1,344 individual birds of prey. 102 of these incidents occurred in Wales.

These latest figures reveal that crimes are being committed on a considerable scale year-on-year. Worryingly, they represent just the tip of the iceberg as many of these incidents take place in unpopulated areas where they go undetected and unreported.

Protection

All birds of prey are protected by law under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Yet in the past 15 years, only one person across the UK has been jailed, and no-one in Wales. Current laws are not serving as an effective deterrent or punishment for these crimes.

Of the 102 known cases in Wales, two-thirds involved poisoning. Laying poisoned baits, which are incredibly dangerous to people and pets, has been illegal for over 100 years yet remains a common technique used to kill birds of prey.

In 2012 the RSPB was involved in the most significant wildlife poisoning case ever recorded in Wales when eight Buzzards, five Red Kites and two Ravens, along with a number of pheasant baits, were found on a pheasant shooting estate in Powys.

Although there was clear evidence of multiple offences of bird of prey persecution, there was insufficient evidence to prosecute.

As a result of such incidents, in 2020, the RSPB Investigations Team expanded to include an Investigations Officer dedicated to challenging bird of prey persecution in Wales, by detecting and recording crimes and assisting with police investigations.

Shooting industry

The majority of raptor persecution incidents are associated with land managed for gamebird shooting, where some individuals deliberately target birds of prey to maximise the number of gamebirds available to shoot for sport. A peer-reviewed study showed that the probability of a raptor persecution incident in Wales was three times higher in areas where driven shooting of gamebirds was available for sale to sporting clients.

The RSPB also uses satellite tag technology to shine a light on the scale of persecution faced by Hen Harriers. The real-time data received from these tags gives previously unknown insights into where the birds go and, crucially, when and where they die.

It has revealed that more Hen Harriers were killed in Britain in 2023 than in any previous year.

RSPB Cymru has called on Welsh Government, and administrations elsewhere in the UK, to introduce licensing of gamebird shooting. Natural Resources Wales completed a major evidence review in 2023 and recommended to Welsh Government that gamebird shoots should require a licence to release pheasants and Red-legged Partridges in order to reduce a range of environmental impacts. It considered that voluntary regulation was inadequate to tackle these alone.

Alun Prichard, Director of RSPB Cymru, said: “For decades, the RSPB has investigated hundreds of cases of illegal bird of prey persecution in the UK. A significant proportion of these incidents happen on or near land associated with gamebird shooting.

“Welsh Government signalled its intention of tackling issues associated with gamebird management in 2022 and received recommendations from its adviser Natural Resources Wales in October 2023. One year on, we have seen no action. We need to see an end to the illegal killing of birds of prey.”

Mark Thomas, RSPB UK Head of Investigations, said: “Our latest report provides harrowing details of what the team sees on a day-to-day basis: the scale of raptor persecution, where it is happening and who is responsible.

“In the last 15 years, a minimum of 1344 amazing birds like Hen Harriers, Red Kites and eagles have been deliberately killed, the majority in connection with gamebird shooting – that’s a disgrace which requires urgent government action.

“The valuable habitat which Wales has to offer makes it a significant stronghold for many birds of prey, but persecution means that the continued recovery of many of these species is threatened.

“Through commitment on the ground and calls for legislative change, we remain determined to put an end to these barbaric crimes. Poisoning, trapping and shooting of these magnificent birds must stop now. The current legislation is clearly not enough to save our wildlife.”

To read the report online visit: rspb.org.uk/birdcrime