The RSPB is celebrating a record-breaking year for hen harriers at a Cumbrian nature reserve.
The 2024 breeding season has been the most successful for hen harrier chicks in three decades at RSPB Geltsdale, in the north of the county.
RSPB staff and volunteers worked around the clock to monitor the nests – employing covert surveillance techniques to protect the nests.
Teams worked in shifts, concealing themselves a safe distance away and watching the nests with thermal binoculars at night, to ensure the birds were not disturbed.
Eight hen harrier chicks have fledged at the RSPB nature reserve this year, the most in a single breeding season since the 1990s. The previous record was seven fledglings.
Two pairs of hen harriers each produced four chicks. One of the pairs, including a satellite-tagged female, also bred in 2023.
The RSPB is monitoring a pair of youngsters, known as Gill and Wardrew, with satellite tags, to learn about where they roam and to keep track of their development.
Mike Shurmer, RSPB England’s head of species, said: “It is wonderful news that we have seen record numbers of hen harrier chicks fledge at Geltsdale, and this is testament to the continuing efforts of our dedicated staff and volunteers on the reserve.
“With the numbers of hen harriers continuing to remain far below where we would expect healthy populations of these birds to be in England, seeing a good number of young hen harriers fledge at Geltsdale this year gives us hope for the coming years at the reserve and beyond.”
This year’s season is also the first time since 2006 a mature grey male has successfully reproduced at the reserve.
While younger males, also known as ringtails, have brown feathers similar to that of females, older males who are a pale grey colour, stand out in the landscape, making them an easy target for illegal killing. Many hen harriers do not survive to maturity.
According to Natural England data, hen harriers are one of the most vulnerable birds of prey in the UK, subject to intense persecution associated with grouse shooting in the English uplands.
In 2023, across the UK a total of 34 hen harriers suspiciously disappeared or were confirmed to have been persecuted, including 29 satellite-tagged and five untagged hen harriers. These figures are likely to under-represent the true scale of Hen Harrier persecution.
Disappearances and persecution of satellite-tagged birds shows illegal persecution continues to hamper population recovery.
While some parts of the UK have seen increases in the number of hen harriers over recent years, their future still hangs in the balance, the RSPB said.
