RSPB Sells Old Rope On Hen Harriers

Today, to the surprise of no one, the RSPB released their latest report, ‘Hen Harriers in the Firing Line'.

Even by their standards of spreading misinformation, this report is a new low for the charity, which is fighting for any semblance of relevance.

In the opening summary the report suggests hen harriers are victims of widespread illegal killing, and yet it fails to mention that in the last 25 years there has not been a single conviction for someone killing or injuring a hen harrier in England, and only two in Scotland. I don’t think anyone could therefore suggest there is any great issue here. Certainly not one that warrants the level of attention the RSPB like to try to fabricate.

Furthermore, the RSPB go on to admit, albeit reluctantly, that there had been “a notable increase in the numbers of breeding hen harriers in England compared to 2016, with a total of 50 territorial pairs being recorded, resulting in the successful fledging of 141 chicks”.

In reality there had been a 850% increase in their numbers, and the slight dip in that trajectory last year was widely acknowledged for being due to poor food supplies. 

Hen Harrier numbers have skyrocketed in recent years, largely due to conservation efforts on grouse moors.

The report also seems to entirely neglect the fact that 61% of hen harriers die within the first year from natural causes.

In another example of the charity's conflicted and often incoherent argument, despite their claims that grouse moors are responsible for the persecution of hen harriers, they also point out in the Republic of Ireland population figures have crashed in recent years by 33%. 

There are no driven grouse moors in Ireland, therefore making the point that it is the driven grouse moors themselves that have been responsible for the increased numbers of hen harriers. This point is further reinforced by the fact that grouse moors are only 50% of national hen harrier habitat, yet the overwhelming majority of hen harriers live on managed grouse moors. 

Even the RSPB has been forced to admit that the hen harrier brood management scheme has been a success.

The report also touches on the hen harrier brood management scheme, which all evidence shows has been an unprecedented conservation success story. Yet, despite its impact – which even the RSPB recognised had substantially increased the number of hen harriers – the charity never supported the scheme and were accused of pressurising Natural England to ultimately pull out of the program. 

As was pointed out in the Moorland Association’s response to the report, it seems highly likely that the RSPB leaders are jealous that Britain’s most successful bird sanctuaries are managed grouse moors. Time after time, scientific evidence shows managed moors to be teeming with endangered birds. By contrast the RSPB stopped publishing annual data on how many birds choose to live on its reserves in 2012. Since then it has taken £2 billion in donations and grants – last year it made £170m.

It’s time RSPB grew up and started recognising the unparalleled positive impact that grouse moor management has on both nature and local communities, rather than continuing to incite division and hostilities through ridiculous, unsubstantiated claims.