The number of hen harriers has fallen to fewer than 400 breeding pairs, prompting the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) to warn they could soon be wiped out.
Despite being protected by law, the birds are being poisoned by landowners and gamekeepers, who claim they are a threat to grouse shoots. Their nests, which are built on open moorland, are also vulnerable to egg thieves and accidental damage by walkers.
“There is a very high level of concern for the hen harrier in Scotland,” said Andy Myles, of the RSPB in Scotland, which has launched a new study into the species’ decline. “With the population down to 400 pairs, there is a very limited number of these birds.
“The key factor is persecution. If that gets worse then the numbers will drop very rapidly. This is already Britain’s most persecuted bird.”
A UK-wide study in 1988-89 estimated that there were about 580 territorial pairs. A more detailed study in 1998 found 436 pairs in Scotland. The results of the new study are due to be published in January.
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The hen harrier is protected by European and UK legislation. Killing or injuring the birds, damaging nests or stealing eggs carries a maximum penalty of a six-month prison sentence and a £5,000 fine.
The RSPB has been urging landowners to sign up to Operation Artemis, a joint campaign by conservationists and police forces across the UK to tackle persecution of the species.
“The police are taking this incredibly seriously,” said Myles. “But some landowners are still refusing to sign up.”