HAVE YOU SEEN ENDANGERED BIRD?
Public urged to inform RSPB of any sightings of rare hen harriers to help them know where the birds of prey are
BIRDWATCHERS in Leek are being urged to keep their eyes peeled for one of the rarest birds of prey after sightings in the skies above the area.
Hen Harriers are one of our rarest birds of prey and also one of the most endangered due to persecution by humans – and have been spotted in the counties before, say bird experts.
The species is the UK’S most persecuted bird of prey relative to its population size and on the brink of extinction as a breeding bird in England, so sightings send birdwatchers into a frenzy.
There were only 19 successful nests in England in 2020, though there is food and habitat to support hundreds of hen harrier pairs.
A spokesperson from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said: “Hen harriers are mediumsized birds of prey, similar to a buzzard but with a slightly slimmer appearance, with long wings and a long tail.
“Female and young hen harriers are speckled brown and cream with horizontal stripes on their tails. The most striking feature is the patch of white at their rump. Males are slightly smaller and pale grey with black wingtips. Both have a round, owl-like face.
“As the weather warms up, these birds are becoming more visible as they start their long journeys away from their winter roosting grounds and up to the moors to breed. Hen harriers nest on the ground amongst heather or soft rush in the uplands, in places like the North Pennines, Yorkshire Dales and the Forest of Bowland.
“You maybe even lucky enough to encounter their skydancing display, a dizzying aerial show of rolls and dives, performed by either the male and female to mark their territory and demonstrate their vigor.”
Now, residents of Staffordshire are being encouraged to contact the RSPB with details about where they have been spotted, with a spokesman saying they have been sighted in the counties before.
RSPB investigations officer Jack Ashton-booth said: “We are calling on the Great British public to email our Hen Harrier Hotline if they believe they’ve seen a hen harrier. “This helps us build a picture of where these birds are.
“Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you see them in England, Wales or Scotland. We welcome any sightings and appreciate your time.
“Hen harriers are beautiful and elusive raptors and, unlike peregrines and kestrels, they are rarely seen in urban environments.
“So if it’s perched on your fence, it’s probably a sparrowhawk, if it’s in a tree by the roadside, it’s probably a kestrel or a buzzard . . . but if it’s over rough pasture or moorland, and matches the description above, then you might have seen a hen harrier.
“Sadly hen harriers are a long way from reaching a healthy, selfsustaining population, and this is largely down to persecution by humans.
“Particularly where land is managed for the purpose of driven grouse shooting, natural predators like hen harriers can be viewed as pests and, despite being legally protected, the shooting, trapping and poisoning of hen harriers is a serious and ongoing problem.”
Anyone who has seen a hen harrier is encouraged to contact with the details of when and where they spotted the bird at henharriers@ rspb.org.uk
We are calling on the Great British public to email our Hen Harrier Hotline if they believe they have seen one.
RSPB