Police are appealing for information after a sparrowhawk was found shot near Knaresborough. The dead female sparrowhawk was found by a member of the public north of the village of Nidd, between Knaresborough and Ripley, with a fresh, bloodied injury, on Sunday 25 February. The results from a subsequent x-ray showed that the bird had […]

Police are investigating the shooting of at least one common buzzard – a legally protected bird of prey – that was found dead in a Suffolk wood. Two buzzard corpses were reported to Suffolk Constabulary’s wildlife crime team in an incident described by naturalists as “appalling and abhorrent.” The bodies were found in woodland known […]

A buzzard which was found illegally shot near Powys has prompted concern by the RSPB and police. The bird was found dead on the ground by a walker near Llanrhaeadr-ym-mochnant on 10 February, and it was reported to the police. The bird was X-rayed by a local vet and found to contain at least eight […]

Police are urging visitors to North Yorkshire’s countryside to get involved with Operation Owl – a new initiative to reduce the number of illegal attacks on birds of prey in the county. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act it is an offence to intentionally kill, injure or take wild birds.  Nevertheless birds of prey (raptors) […]

The disappearance of a golden eagle is [thought to be] “highly suspicious”. It was one of a number of birds tagged last summer.  The tag lost signal on 21 January on the outskirts of Edinburgh before it showed up offshore and then disappeared. The golden eagle – named Fred – hatched at a nest in the […]