Bird kills: Co Down among UK’s worst
CO DOWN saw 19 birds of prey persecution incidents over the past five years, making it the sixth worst area of the UK for illegal killings.
Figures released today by the RSPB, covering 88 regions of the UK, show that during that time the illegal killing of nine red kites was reported in the county.
Five reported persecution inred cidents took place across Northern Ireland within the last year. Roisin Kearney, RSPB NI Conservation officer, said the statistics are only scratching the surface of the problem.
“The persecution of birds of prey is a widespread problem in the UK and it’s a grim statistic that Co Down is sixth in terms of persecution incidents from 2012 to 2017,” she said.
“It’s sad that in 2018, which marks the 10th anniversary of
Killed: A red kite and (right) a sparrowhawk
kites being reintroduced to Northern Ireland, we are still seeing red kites and other birds of prey being targeted. But for each persecution incident we hear about, scientific studies suggest there are many more that go undetected and unreported.
“As such, these figures only scratch the surface of the true extent of raptor persecution.”
Birds of prey continue to be at risk with a minimum of 68 confirmed incidents of detected illegal bird of prey persecution in the UK in 2017.
These included 48 shootings, nine poisonings, three trappings, four nest destructions and four other incidents. However, evidence suggests these figures are just the tip of the iceberg with many illegal killings going undetected or unreported.
In Northern Ireland these figures include the killings of three buzzards, two peregrine falcons, a red kite and a sparrowhawk. Two of the incidents occurred in Co Antrim, one in Co Londonderry, one in Co Down and one in Tyrone.
Red kites were only reintroduced to Northern Ireland in 2008 and there still isn’t a stable population here, yet between 2012 and 2017 nine red kites were illegally killed in Co Down.
Buzzards, peregrine falcons, a sparrowhawk and a merlin were also killed over those five years. In the rest of Northern Ireland in the same five year period, there were 13 persecution incidents in Co Antrim, five in Co Londonderry, five in Co Armagh and four in Co Tyrone.
Among the victims found across the UK were both rare species such as peregrine falcons, hen harriers and marsh harriers, and short-eared owls as well as more common species such as buzzards, putting the recovery of some of these species at risk.