Hen harriers, along with all other predators, are shot, poisoned and trapped on Northern English grouse moors. All birds of prey in the UK are fully protected by law, so as well as being completely illegal, this practice seriously interferes with the natural balance that exists between predators and prey species.

Extremely high and unnatural densities of red grouse are raised to provide the lucrative sport of a tiny minority.

Burning of the heather to promote growth of young shoots, the food of grouse, damages the peat and contributes to flooding in lowland areas as the land becomes degraded. Surely there is room for less draconian measures and the possibility of coexistence.

Birders Against Wildlife Crime (BAWC) campaign against all illegal persecution of raptors and other birds.

There is an annual event to highlight the illegal killing of almost all the hen harriers in England, which without this persecution would number at least 300 pairs. Support it here.

To learn more about this issue and sign the petition to ban driven grouse shooting, go to the Mark Avery blog.