Your chances of catching a glimpse of a hen harrier in the Scottish countryside are improving, according to a new report by the RSPB. But this recovery needs to be sustained in the long term to meet biodiversity goals, says the charity.
RSPB Scotland says the 2023 hen harrier survey shows 529 territorial pairs of hen harrier in Scotland, up 15 per cent since the last survey in 2016.
The country has more than 70 per cent of the UK’s population of the birds, one of our rarest raptors.
The Hebrides has seen a 125 per cent increase in pairs, with a steadily expanding population on Lewis in the Western Isles. It means that for the first time since national hen harrier surveys began, the Hebridean population is Scotland’s second biggest, with 110 territorial pairs.
The east Highlands saw a 69 per cent increase, and the East Cairngorms Moorland Partnership consortium, covering seven large estates aiming to improve biodiversity, has reported a dramatic increase in hen harrier breeding.
Orkney and the north Highlands showed increases of 15 per cent and 12 per cent respectively, while the West Highlands showed a modest five per cent decline.
The biggest exception to the positive news was in the Southern Uplands, which saw a 32 per cent fall in pairs. Harriers now only breed in the region on the community-owned estate at Langholm, where a major nature restoration project is under way.
Encouraging rise but persecution continues
While the latest survey results are good news for harriers, RSPB Scotland says they are still far less widespread than they could be, only filling about a third of possible good habitat, and with 16 per cent fewer birds than 20 years ago.
The charity says human persecution continues to impact on their numbers. Numbers breeding on grouse moors continue to decline.
Duncan Orr-Ewing of RSPB Scotland, said: “The results of the survey show there is cause for optimism, and some encouraging signs of population recovery in parts of Scotland, particularly the Western Isles, which we hope to see continue.
“Sadly, hen harrier persecution continues. Just last month, a satellite-tagged hen harrier disappeared in the Angus glens. We are calling on Police Scotland to ensure all satellite-tagged raptors disappearing in suspicious circumstances be recorded as a crime.”
Eileen Stuart of Government wildlife agency NatureScot said: “It is encouraging to see an overall increase in the population of one of our most spectacular raptors. However we need this recovery to be sustained in the long term to meet biodiversity goals.
“We are pleased that Scotland remains a stronghold for hen harriers but persecution is still limiting populations in some areas and we anticipate that the Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill recently passed by the Scottish Parliament will help address this.”
In Scotland the Hen Harrier Survey 2023 involved RSPB Scotland, NatureScot, and the Scottish Raptor Study Group, with support from volunteers, landowners, land managers and farmers.
“It is encouraging to see an overall increase in the population of one of our most spectacular raptors. However we need this recovery to be sustained in the long term to meet biodiversity goals.” Eileen Stuart, NatureScot
Prized sighting
The harriers’ scarcity – caused by damage to habitat by forestry schemes as well as persecution – makes them a prized sighting for birdwatchers.
Outside Scotland the birds can be seen all year round in Lancashire’s Forest of Bowland, in Snowdonia, and on the Isle of Man. In winter they visit coastal heaths and marshes in many parts of the UK.
While males are a pale grey colour, females and young birds are brown with a white rump and a striped tail. They fly with wings held in a shallow V, gliding low in search of food, which mainly consists of meadow pipits and voles.
More on birds:
- Scottish grouse shooting faces shake up as new law introduced to stop raptor persecution
- Guide to Britain’s birds of prey