Known raptor killings just ‘tip of the iceberg’
● Report into crimes against birds of prey finds species still at risk
Scotland’s iconic birds of prey continue to be at risk from illegal killing, according to a new annual report.
The latest Birdcrime dossier, from the RSPB conservation charity, shows there were 87 confirmed crimes against raptors in the UK in 2018 – 12 of them north of the Border.
Buzzards were worst hit, with 31 known victims, followed by red kites, with 27.
Other species killed include peregrines, hen harriers, sparrowhawks and tawny owls.
Of the 87 incidents, 41 involved shooting, 28 involved poisoning, 16 involved trapping and two involved other forms of persecution.
The report also identifies raptor crime “blackspots”, which include North Yorkshire, where most crimes took place, the Peak District and around Leadhills in South Lanarkshire. Cases uncovered in Scotland last year included a peregrine that was poisoned in hills outside Edinburgh; a buzzard found to have been shot twice in South Lanarkshire; a buzzard caught in an illegal trap in Inverness-shire; and a hen harrier caught in a spring trap in Perthshire.
All these incidents occurred on or near land being managed for driven grouse shooting, the report points out.
But RSPB Scotland believes the recorded cases do not show the full extent of attacks against protected raptors.
Cases where satellite-tagged birds of prey went missing in what were considered “suspicious circumstances” have not been included in the report because no bodies were found.
An independent study investigating the fate of satellitetagged golden eagles in Scotland found that a third of the birds had disappeared under suspicious circumstances and had probably been killed.
The Scottish Government is currently carrying out a review of grouse moor management, which is due to report back soon.
“Birds of prey are an integral part of Scotland’s heritage, woven into our landscapes and our history,” said Duncan Orr-ewing, head of species and land management at RSPB Scotland.
“There is widespread revulsion among the Scottish public that these birds continue to suffer greatly at the hands of wildlife criminals.”
But sporting estates have accused the charity of using the report to back up a campaign to destroy the grouse shooting industry.
“We, along with our members, wholeheartedly condemn all incidents of crime against birds of prey,” said David Johnstone, chairman of Scottish Land & Estates.
“Further legislation, as demanded by anti-grousemoor campaigners, is not required on a sector which adheres to best practice and substantial regulation.”