Hen Harriers in the Firing Line | RSPB

A New Report from the RSPB Documents the Scale of Illegal Killing of Hen Harriers

In anticipation of the debate on Monday 30th June in Westminster of Wild Justice’s ‘Ban Driven Grouse Shooting‘ petition, which garnered over 104,000 signatures, this new report from the RSPB sets out all the devastating facts about the illegal killing of Hen Harriers in the UK’s upland landscapes.

Hen Harriers are 10 times more likely to die or disappear on grouse moors
The average life expectancy of a young Hen Harrier in the UK is just 121 days
North Yorkshire, Northumberland and County Durham are the three UK counties with the highest number of confirmed and suspected persecution cases…
Yet the only two convictions in the last 25 years have been in Scotland
In the last five years, 102 confirmed and suspected persecution incidents have been recorded, 89% in northern England…
But this is likely the tip of the iceberg due to the remote upland locations where the birds breed

"Hen Harriers should be thriving in upland areas across the UK, but decades of illegal killing – linked to land managed for grouse shooting – is directly preventing their recovery.
We’ve seen a recent rise in confirmed and suspected incidents of Hen Harrier persecution, with 102 incidents recorded from 2020–2024. We urgently need licensing of grouse shooting in England if we are to put a stop to the killing of these incredible birds."

Mark Thomas, Head of Investigations UK, RSPB Tweet

As the report concludes, it is time for change, and urgently.

“The continued illegal killing of Hen Harriers in the UK is a serious issue that must be urgently addressed. Decades of evidence has shown that voluntary self-regulation by the shooting industry has failed to stop these crimes, making it imperative for governments to intervene and implement effective measures.

With these crimes on the rise, the need for decisive legislative change is urgent.”

There’s still time for you to contact your MP and urge them to attend the Westminster debate on Monday 30th June at 4.30pm. And you can watch it live as it unfolds on the Parliament Live channel.