RSPB reports 921 illegal raptor killings in UK

A new report from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) has documented hundreds of illegal killings of protected birds of prey across the United Kingdom over the past decade. The charity’s “Patterns of Persecution” report, published this week, records 921 confirmed attacks on raptors between 2015 and 2024.

The RSPB states that more than half of these incidents occurred on or near land managed for gamebird shooting. The killings involve shooting, poisoning, and illegal trapping. According to Mark Thomas, head of the RSPB’s investigations unit, the motivation is financial, with birds of prey targeted to prevent them from taking young pheasants, partridges, or grouse, thereby leaving more birds for paying clients.

In Scotland, a separate analysis found 182 confirmed persecution incidents over the same period. Victims included nine golden eagles, ten peregrine falcons, 12 goshawks, 27 red kites, and 52 common buzzards. Ian Thomson, RSPB Investigations Manager, said the report makes for horrendous reading for anyone concerned about protecting some of the nation’s rarest and most spectacular species. He noted that almost two-thirds of recorded incidents in Scotland...