Shooting Times & Country Magazine
Hen harrier breeding season breaks records
Gamekeepers and the shooting community are praised for their role in the recovery as Natural England says 119 chicks fledged this year
Conservationists are celebrating another record hen harrier breeding season in England’s uplands. Figures published by Natural England show that 119 hen harrier chicks fledged in England in the 2022 nesting season, which is the highest number ever formally recorded and reckoned to be the highest in 100 years.
Hen harriers were at one time a widespread bird across both upland and lowland Britain. However, agricultural intensification and persecution significantly reduced the population. This year’s figures represent the sixth consecutive year of increase in harrier numbers from a low of only eight chicks that fledged in 2016.
Hen harriers are ground-nesting birds and, as well as the diminishing problem of persecution, they are very vulnerable to predation and bad weather. This year, a total of 49 pairs nested across the North of England and 34 nests fledged at least one chick.
Lancashire’s Forest of Bowland remained a stronghold for the species with 18 nests, although nests were located from the Peak District to Northumberland.
The good news that numbers were rapidly rising was welcomed by most parties involved with harrier conservation.
Natural England chair Tony Juniper said: “It is testament to the dedication of the volunteers, landowners and staff from all our partner organisations who work so hard to protect, support and monitor these vulnerable birds.”
BASC’S head of uplands Gareth Dockerty was more direct in his praise, saying: “The shooting community and gamekeepers have a big role to play in the continued recovery of hen harriers. This is because grouse moor habitats consistently provide key favourable habitats for hen harriers alongside other priority species. We would like to recognise and congratulate the hard work of the gamekeepers and hen harrier specialists. Not only are they driving the recovery of the hen harrier, but are bucking the trend of species declines.”
THEY SAID WHAT
“Grouse moor habitats consistently provide key favourable habitats for hen harriers”
The dwindling practice of illegal harrier persecution remains a problem for the species and Juniper acknowledged there was still work to do. He said: “Despite this year’s success, we clearly still have a long road to travel to see hen harrier numbers truly recover to where they would naturally be without illegal persecution.”
Matt Cross
“European bison are the continent’s largest land animal and were extinct in the wild a century ago… three were released into the Kent countryside in Canterbury, becoming the first wild bison to roam in Britain for thousands of years.”
Why: The bison in question live in a fenced enclosure and are from a species that
never roamed the British Isles.