Record season for hen harrier chicks
DOZENS of hen harrier chicks have been successfully reared in England this year in an effort to save the species from extinction.
In a record breeding season, 15 nests produced 47 chicks – outdoing the previous best in 2006 of 46 birds, according to government conservation agency Natural England.
Hen harriers are the nation’s most threatened birds of prey. In 2013 there were no successful nests or fledged chicks and it was feared the bird was becoming extinct in England.