THETFORD The kestrel has suffered its most disastrous breeding season in 40 years, with the number of chicks raised slumping by up to half .
The plight of the bird of prey has so alarmed experts that it has been placed on the British Trust for Ornithology’s concern list.
The number of chicks raised this year fell by between 25 and 50 per cent, according to estimates by the trust, and mark the largest slump since the early Sixties, when the birds were poisoned by DDT. The latest setback is believed to be because of a shortage of rodents, the bird’s prey.