RSPB report shows 400 cases of raptor persecution in last 15 years as research group points to signs of change

The document said cases include birds that have been shot, trapped and illegally killed, including golden eagles, hen harriers and white-tailed eagles.

The report claims these crimes are continuing “at considerable scale year on year”, and that “many more incidents will take place in remote and unpopulated areas where they go unreported.”

Scottish Government figures between 2017 and 2021, however, showed bird of prey crime cases have been fairly inconsistent.

There were a total of 101 offences recorded in this five-year period in Scotland, according to government data, with 24 occurring in 2021-22, 11 the year before, 25 the year before that, and 17 in the year before that.

Of these 101 offences, the most targeted species were buzzard (23 offences), peregrine falcon (20 offences) and red kite (15 offences). In some cases the offence included multiple species or the species was unknown. Offences covered a range of crime type including poisoning (26 offences), shooting (24 offences), trapping (12 offences), disturbance (7 offences) and egg theft (5 offences).

A small study in its fledgling stage led by the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) showed promising signs of increasing populations of raptors on Scottish estates managed for game this summer, particularly for golden eagles.

The new RSPB report said between 2009 and 2023, there were a total of 1,529 bird crime incidents across Britain.

Of these, the study claims 75 per cent were connected to the gamebird shooting industry in the whole of the UK.

The region with the highest number of confirmed crime cases of this nature over the last 15 years was Yorkshire, with 185 incidents, followed by the Highlands, with 69 cases.

RSPB Scotland said its report has prompted calls for the Scottish Government to ensure legislation, including the Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill, which contains new, stricter laws on grouse shooting licences, puts an end to illegal killing of birds of prey. The charity said “there is an urgent need for the rest of the UK to follow a similar approach.”

Ian Thompson, the charity’s head of investigations in Scotland, said: “We welcome the new licensing laws for grouse shooting in Scotland, which came after years of campaigning.

“However, even with this new legislation in place, birds of prey are still being targeted and deliberately killed.  What we now need is NatureScot to deliver robust and effective use of the new powers given to them, and finally deliver an end to crimes against our birds of prey.” Earlier this year, counts undertaken during raptor transect surveys led by GWCT showed the number of golden eagles tracked flying over Scottish moorlands appear to have doubled in the last year. Preliminary results showed there was an increase in golden eagle records from 26 to 59 in the last year.

GWCT said the study is in its early stages, but that this year’s data provides a useful indication.

Roger Draycott, of GWCT, said: "The GWCT condemns the illegal killing of birds of prey. The crimes of a few bring game shooting into disrepute and by so doing cloud the positive conservation work done by game managers across the country, including work to help raptors. 

"The GWCT is not a shooting organisation but supports game management where it complies with the law and delivers a biodiversity net gain. Its research shows that best practice game management can double the number of red-listed farmland birds on a landscape scale and provides a lifeline for many of the UK’s most threatened species."

Ross Ewing, director of moorland, Scottish Land & Estates, said: “In recent years, Scottish Government official wildlife crime reports have demonstrated a decline in bird crime to the lowest levels on record. 

"It is a great pity that the RSPB refuse to acknowledge progress made across the shooting sector - not only to reduce bird crime, but to conserve some of our most endangered bird species. We do not condone wildlife crime in any shape or form. 

"Regrettably, the RSPB goes to great lengths to portray a worsening situation when the exact opposite is the case. They have majored in statistics over a 15-year period in the latest Bird Crime report. What they fail to acknowledge is the steep decline in what they characterise as 'confirmed incidents' in Scotland in recent years. 

"For example, there were just four Scottish incidents in 2022; and just six in 2023. Even then, we know that what the RSPB determine to be a 'confirmed incident' is not necessarily a view shared by the police and law enforcement agencies. There are several reports from 2022 and 2023 which generated no appeal for information from the Police, which suggests there was not adequate suspicion to suspect a crime has occurred. Moreover, it is clear that many of the 'confirmed incidents' are unrelated to grouse moor management. 

"We do not condone wildlife crime in any form and have supported the introduction of the toughest penalties. Furthermore, a licensing scheme for grouse moors has been introduced in Scotland which places a further burden of responsibility on grouse moor operators and gamekeepers.”