A hen harrier vanished in County Durham. Both police and the RSPB are looking into this suspicious disappearance.
A young female hatched in Scotland in 2024 and was named Red by local kids. She received a satellite tag that year, as the RSPB tracks these rare birds that face persecution. These tags attach like tiny backpacks and can transmit even after death. Red eventually flew to England and wintered in the North Pennines.
On January 15, her tag showed her near Hamsterley Forest, where she roosted on a grouse moor. Subsequently, transmissions suddenly stopped. Police searched the area but found no trace of the bird or tag. Another harrier vanished nearby in 2022; Sia’s tag also ceased transmitting suddenly, a circumstance that raises suspicion.
Howard Jones of the RSPB commented on the situation, emphasizing that Red’s disappearance hurts this rare species, highlighting that every bird matters. He noted that even dead birds’ tags continue to transmit data, enabling body recovery; the absence of such transmissions in this case hints at human involvement, given that harriers persistently vanish on grouse moors.
To protect these birds, action must be taken by implementing grouse shooting estate licenses. These licenses would ensure legal operations, ultimately protecting hen harriers, who continuously face persecution in these areas.
A study revealed low harrier survival rates, with illegal killing identified as a major cause. The RSPB advocates for grouse shooting licenses, a measure already in place in Scotland. These licenses can be revoked following illegal actions, meaning that Raptor persecution could trigger this removal.