euVue – North East Nature Watch

Rescuing a trapped bird of prey.

Wild birds are suffering from near record levels of persecution.

During 2008 the RSPB received 1,206 reports of shooting, poisoning, trapping and disturbance of birds and of the theft of birds and their eggs.

While the figure is slightly down from the all-time high of 1,228 reports in 2007, it remains the second highest we’ve ever recorded. Many more incidents are believed to have gone undetected and unreported and the figures include 210 reports of shooting and destruction of birds of prey.

As a result, the RSPB is using its annual Birdcrime report to repeat its call for a fundamental shake-up of the way such crimes are policed.

Data from the report showed the two worst counties in England for all reported incidents against birds of prey were North Yorkshire with 24 and Derbyshire with 14 reported incidents. In Scotland, problems were worst in Perth and Kinross where there were 18 reported incidents and in the Borders where there were 15. Aberdeenshire, Angus and the Highlands each had 14 reports.

The persecution of birds of prey is something the RSPB is campaigning to stop and which Government has declared one of its ‘wildlife crime priorities’.

Continue reading Crimes against wild birds soar