Look for rare hen harriers in Stirling skies out

Stirling bird spotters are being asked to keep their eyes peeled for the rare hen harrier in the district’s skies this spring.

As the weather warms up the raptors become more visible on upland moors where they breed.

Observers, if lucky, can witness the birds’ skydancing display of rolls and dives to mark their territory and demonstrate their strength.

The hen harrier, which nests in heather and soft rush, is the UK’s most persecuted bird of prey relative to its population size.

Illegal killing of the birds has occurred in the Gargunnock area in recent years.

And a satellite-tagged hen harrier named ‘Rannoch’ was found dead on a Perthshire grouse moor – caught in an illegal spring trap on open moorland between Aberfeldy and Crieff – in 2019.

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.

Their 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.

Sightings of the birds can be made to a special RSPB hotline.

The RSPB’s Jenni Burrell said: “We are calling on the 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 – 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