Rare birds breed for first time in living memory

ONE of Scotland’s rarest raptors, the hen harrier, is breeding on a major National Trust for Scotland estate in the Cairngorms for the first time in living memory.

The hen harrier is the most persecuted bird of prey in the UK and features on the red list of endangered species.

Persecuted to the point of extinction in Upper Deeside during the Victorian era, it has not bred successfully on the NTS’ Mar Lodge Estate in “many decades”. Now four chicks have hatched on one nest.

A male chick has been satellite tagged as part of the RSPB’s Hen Harrier LIFE project, to allow conservationists to understand where the birds go and where they’re most at risk.

David Frew, Property Manager at Mar Lodge Estate said: “It is fantastic news and really exciting to see these birds returning to the estate for the first time in living memory.

“We have worked hard to create an environment where raptors can thrive, and it is great to see that our approach to management is paying off.

“We work hard to balance conservation, field sports and visitor access and enjoyment.

“The presence of raptors, and particularly the return of hen harriers, demonstrates that these objectives can all be balanced given the right conditions. It is tremendously exciting to see these birds here once again.”

The hen harrier (Latin name Circus cyaneus) used to be a widespread and familiar bird in the uplands of Britain. By 1900, persecution by Victorian game preservers and skin and egg collectors had pushed the bird to extinction as a breeding species on the British mainland.