Birdcrime 2023
Explore the Birdcrime data in more detail.
Feature
Birdcrime Report 2023
A review of the illegal killing of birds of prey in the UK, 2009–2023
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On this page
- Bird of prey persecution
- Shooting, poisoning, trapping
- It’s the tip of the iceberg
- 2023: another terrible year for Hen Harrier persecution
- Positive steps in Scotland
- The RSPB’s Chief Executive, Beccy Speight says:
- The RSPB calls for change to bird laws
- What you can do
- Visit the Map Hub
- Birdcrime reports and appendices
- Reporting bird crimes
Birdcrime 2023 summarises 15 years’ worth of data collected by the RSPB Investigations team.
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Birdcrime 2023 Appendices
Who is killing birds of prey and why? | RSPB Nature Explained
Bird of prey persecution
Between 2009 and 2023, the RSPB has recorded 1,529 confirmed incidents, involving the illegal persecution of at least 1,344 birds of prey. These include vulnerable and recovering species such as Hen Harriers, White-tailed Eagles, Golden Eagles, Red Kites and Goshawks.
The majority of these incidents are associated with land managed for gamebird shooting where some individuals deliberately target birds of prey to try to maximise the number of gamebirds available to shoot for sport and profit.
Shooting, poisoning, trapping
Birds of prey are being illegally shot, poisoned and trapped across the UK. This latest report includes a number of high profile cases which reveal the lengths individuals will go to to commit these crimes.
It’s the tip of the iceberg
These confirmed incidents are only those which have been detected. As many of these crimes take place in remote and inaccessible areas, the actual figures are likely to be far higher.
2023: another terrible year for Hen Harrier persecution
The RSPB has been fitting satellite tags to Hen Harriers since 2014, to better understand the movements and survival of these birds. This technology has highlighted the scale of illegal persecution, with many birds’ tags suddenly ceasing transmission, without malfunction.
Suspected persecution of Hen Harriers in the UK hit a record high in 2023, with 34 Hen Harriers suspiciously disappearing or confirmed to have been persecuted on or near land managed for grouse shooting.
* This 2023 data has been compiled from records of Natural England and RSPB satellite tagged Hen Harriers and reports from bird of prey workers.
Positive steps in Scotland
In March 2024, the Scottish Parliament took significant steps to tackle the issue of bird of prey persecution in Scotland, with the passing of the Wildlife and Muirburn Bill. Under this new legislation, grouse shoots in Scotland must be licenced. If there is evidence that illegal persecutions of birds of prey occurred on that land, an estate could have their licence revoked.
The RSPB’s Chief Executive, Beccy Speight says:
For decades, the RSPB has investigated hundreds of cases of illegal bird of prey persecution in the UK. A significant proportion of these incidents happen on or near land associated with gamebird shooting. Many of these crimes are happening in some of our most remote and inaccessible areas of the UK. Because of this, we’re barely scraping the surface when it comes to the actual scale of this problem. Legislation has been failing these protected species for too long. At a time of nature crisis, we urgently need meaningful and effective legislative change.”
The RSPB calls for change to bird laws
The RSPB is calling on Westminster and all devolved administrations to introduce the licensing of all forms of gamebird shooting across the UK.
What you can do
RSPB Investigations is the only dedicated team in the UK committed to investigating bird of prey persecution.
Mark Thomas, UK Head of RSPB Investigations says: “As a charity we rely on your support, now more than ever. The RSPB Investigations team plays a crucial role in preventing and exposing bird of prey persecution, but we desperately need your help to maintain this vital work. By donating, you can help ensure we have a full team of Investigation Officers to detect, expose and record these crimes enabling us to continue to tackle this issue head-on.”
Visit the Map Hub
To learn more about raptor persecution and other crimes against birds, including where they’re taking place, explore our page on crimes against birds or visit the Raptor Persecution Map Hub. Using data recorded by the RSPB Investigations team, the UK map details the location of all confirmed bird of prey persecution incidents in the UK.
Birdcrime reports and appendices
Reporting bird crimes
If you notice a dead or injured bird of prey in suspicious circumstances, visit our 'How to report crimes against wild birds’ page for more information.