POLICE and the RSPB are appealing for information following the disappearance of a satellite-tagged hen harrier from near Middleton-in-Teesdale.
The harrier, named Marc, was one of a nest of two chicks tagged as part of the EU-funded Hen Harrier LIFE+ project in July last year from a nest in the Scottish Borders.
Marc’s tag had been transmitting regularly, showing no signs of any problems, until it suddenly stopped on the afternoon of February 5.
Data from Marc’s tag indicated he had been in the same area of upland farmland since late November before moving 10km north west on January 27 to an area of driven grouse moor.
From this location, the bird was recorded in several positions on February 5 until 2.04pm, after which the tag inexplicably failed to send any further data.
Hen harriers are one of the UK’s rarest raptors with only three successful nests recorded in England in 2017.
There have been a number of other hen harriers that have gone missing in similar circumstances both in England and Scotland since the tagging project began in 2015.
This includes Marc’s brother, a bird called Manu, who was tagged in the same nest but went missing in October 2017 with his last known location being close to a grouse moor in Northumberland.
Mark Thomas, RSPB principal specialist, said: “Hen harriers are facing an uncertain future.
“These spectacular birds should be flourishing in our uplands but studies show that we are down to just a handful of pairs in England with illegal persecution identified as a prime factor.
“So it’s depressing when yet another hen harrier goes off the radar like this, especially when the supporting tag data is so precise,” he added.
A spokesperson for Durham Constabulary said: “We are very concerned at the disappearance of one of these iconic birds of prey.
“Hen harriers are fully protected by law and raptor persecution is a national wildlife crime priority.
“We urge you to come forward if you have any information about the disappearance of this bird.”
Anyone with information relating to the disappearance (police ref: 163 2022018), should call Durham Constabulary on 101 or the confidential raptor crime hotline on 03000 999 0101. All calls are anonymous.
Anyone who finds a wild bird which is suspected to have been illegally killed should contact RSPB Investigations on 01767 680551 or fill in the online form: www.rspb .org.uk/our-work/our-positions-and-campaigns/positions/wildbirdslaw/reportform.aspx
