RSPB: Two-thirds of confirmed illegal killings of birds of prey last year linked to shooting estates

Around two-thirds of the confirmed illegal killings of birds of prey last year are linked to shooting estates. That's according to the RSPB's latest report on bird crime, which we can exclusively reveal. (Subscribe: bit.ly/C4_News_Subscribe)
Buzzards, red kites, goshawks, hen harriers, peregrine falcons and white-tailed eagles have all fallen victim to shooting, trapping and poisoning - adding to a total of 61 reported killings last year.
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[@felixarbable]

Rich people crimes alway going unpunished

[@JosephWood1941-iz6mi]

They're usually the Magistrates.

[@Revelationscreation]

@@JosephWood1941-iz6mi The real raptor crimes are not by rich people but rather due to the traditional shootings of migrating raptors in islamic states.

[@johnsmith-rs2vk]

B...tards . Always have connections to the best restaurants .

[@Aklith]

The whole dynamic of shooting estates is dumb, local communities have no power over land it's all offshore rich landowners buy up swathes of land and come over to show off to their other rich mates. We need land reform asap.

[@rachelkristine4669]

Some things just never change, do they? The big estates of the Landed Gentry have ALWAYS been like this. Absolutely disgusting! If someone poisons an American Bald Eagle, ya go to prison & get hit with a big fat fine! 😢

[@tastypymp1287]

Pipe down wokey, mind your own. We all know this is because of immigration.

[@Dasistrite]

Absolutely, the duty to protect and use land and it's resources belong to it's native historical inhabitants! Not for some modern rich bastards that call themselves world citizens.

[@donnievance1942]

Rich people or not, the idea of killing animals for entertainment is morally repugnant.

[@Dasistrite]

@@donnievance1942 Hunting pests like rats or invasive species is justified and required to protect the local wildlife. Also hunting game for meat is justified because at the same time hunters do important population control. But hunting endangered animals is wrong like birds of prey.

[@loosemink]

Why didn't they arrest the estates head gamekeeper? It's obvious he is prime suspect.

[@yetidodger6650]

no proof

[@mrfoameruk]

@@henchy3rd Knowing and prooving are 2 totally different things.

[@NeilEvans-xq8ik]

We're not allowed to wild camp because we supposedly don't look after the land. They claim ownership of the land because they supposedly do look after it. So why are they doing this? Is this looking after the land?

[@Mkbshg8]

Why do these weirdos want to shoot birds of any kind, endangered or not?

[@d614gakadoug9]

It is depraved "traditional" bullshit they call "sport." A bunch of terminal sphincters with guns stand in a row while other dimwits drive birds out into the open to be shot by the turds with the guns.

[@kahutochishisumi9056]

To preserve their time pass killing of grouse and pheasants.

[@Mkbshg8]

@@kahutochishisumi9056 Suppose that's fair enough as long as they're eaten, why shoot endangered birds though?

[@kahutochishisumi9056]

@@Mkbshg8 because they prey on the birds that they like to shoot for fun.

[@philliprickard5280]

The 1% have a lot to answer for...

[@cheryl5994]

IT’S HEARTBREAKING BUT IT’S GOOD TO SEE THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE TAKING ACTION & WANTING MORE TO PROTECT THESE BEAUTIFUL BIRDS. ON BEHALF OF THEM, THANK YOU! 🖐🏼😊

[@davidlamb7524]

If a person was shot the police would identify the firearm and the owner. How serious are they about this ? Maybe their loyalties are more towards landowners and their gamekeepers. There's a lot of money involved.

[@tomaccino]

Yeah but what can you identify from shotgun pellets? Gangsters shoot single, round bullets and leave bullet casings all over the crime scene. This wildlife crime scene is a whole forest! And the hunter takes the shotgun casings with them, cause you know, that's polluting the environment 😂

[@digitalimager4946]

I sympathise but I doubt it would be possible to identify a shotgun from a pellet.

[@davidlamb7524]

@@tomaccino Good point

[@davidlamb7524]

@@digitalimager4946 Yes. True

[@downtourth]

If one knows how very wondrous this world really is, they wouldn't want to kill any of this worlds awesome creatures, including people

[@laurateaho-white9654]

If a poor person shoots a bird, its a crime. If a rich person shoots a bird, its sport and upholding tradition. If the birds are left alone, thats woke. The UK is a strange place.

[@jillforsthoefelgrant3013]

Woke for everyone to respect nature? 😆

[@aq9714]

I find this to be deplorable. Hunting Estates?

[@slartibartfast7921]

I think it’s about time that certain elements within the toff community were deported, they are a danger to the country in general. I hear Rwanda is nice this time of year.

[@simonsimon325]

These animals have to fight so hard to survive, while we humans are on easy street with our cosy heated homes, health care, and fully stocked supermarkets. And some of us choose to enter their world from our doddle of an existence, and destroy them for fun, or because they're in the way of our fun. It's despicably self-indulgent.

[@skinfan2806]

I love birds of prey, they are beautiful smart animals. This breaks my heart.

[@C1Ksdafafdsa980ufsd]

Sad to hear it is happening in the UK. About 25 years ago my family and I encountered an injured Golden Eagle near Black Butte in Oregon, USA. I caught it, and eventually it got transferred to the Cascades Raptor Center for rehab. It had been shot and had a broken wing which was healing poorly. They attempted to repair the damaged wing. I don't know what happened to it afterwards. There are farmers that dislike the birds of prey, due to a fear they kill livestock. Apparently the eagles can kill young lambs, although it is rare. However, the bird was found on public property, and likely didn't fly far after being shot.

[@sebastianconrad6142]

Repugnant - those estates days are numbered!

[@100Noddy]

Unlikely in the UK, it is tied up with the constitution, royal patronage and favour. It cannot be undone without full constitutional reform, abolition of the monarchy and dispossesory title.

[@yokomotooto1255]

It's a stain on shooting. Knarsdale estate telling the same lie others do.

[@DrumToTheBassWoop]

They should start cross referencing smartphone signal locations at times of bird deaths, and triangulate these numbers for questioning. Technology is ripe for situations like these.

[@mobilephil244]

Most of these murders occur in places where you can't get a signal.

[@anglebars6084]

Believe a case of this happened in Scotland and the Perpetrator was actually arrested thankfully. Still happening sadly and some are thrown near the road side to try look like it’s been hit by a car. Horrible,horrible people.

[@rphb5870]

birds are often a nuisance. I just saw the other day that one of our local airports are having a big problem with geese

[@grzegorzgreg09]

I respect animals!❤ i wish I could say the same about humans

[@parshakamarsh]

They're all rich and privileged, they'll keep on getting away with it like everything else they do in this country unfortunately

[@ComicusFreemanius]

"We're interested in conservation" Laughs in Falconer.

[@cosmicpsyops4529]

Power buys you insulation. It'll all collapse eventually at this rate.

[@exerciseyourmind]

Hard to believe someone would shoot or posion a protected bird on their own land to be found by the public. A bit suspicious

[@zetectic7968]

A poor troll. Yes, a wildlife lover did it to frame them 🙄 The video told you the bird could fly after being shot & you think the estate just lets armed members of the public free range over their land 🤣

[@exerciseyourmind]

@@zetectic7968 wouldn't be the first time 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@karenthompson7684]

It’s time to hold land owners accountable for murder they the birds have a right to be there

[@terryluckhurst4114]

Surely the responsibility of these appalling crimes are the estate owners who payroll the gamekeepers; they should be charged under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

[@johnferguson7052]

Game keepers complicit with the land owners

[@stuartparkinson6061]

they can breed and release birds from elsewhere before doing shoots

[@blackbeard6423]

This is a disgrace. I think people are killing them because some people out there genuinely hate beauty and nature.

[@mrkus-nc7od]

It's weird all those Grouse places used to be for Falconers only , Before the Gun , .I wonder how many Traps for Hawks are out there that you can't see

[@christinavuyk2026]

Why tf are we letting them get away with this!?! 🤬🤬🤬

[@OpenEggs]

How can we stop them!?

[@kalelake3067]

This is disgusting; how dare you..

[@barryolaith]

Trying to keep an open mind on this for years but you have to ask who else other than shooting estates benefit from killing off birds of prey? Also, shooting organisations dressing themselves up as conservationists just doesn't withstand scrutiny if you look beyond the window dressing. They damage their own credibility with this tired old transparent posturing.

[@Ryansghost]

The bird was shot elsewhere and staggered over to Knarsdale to die?

[@noswim]

Bro you're making yourself look stupid

[@thedisabledwelshman9266]

could face criminal prosecution? SHOULD FACE . NOT COULD FACE, CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.

[@highmountainwolf]

Wow finally @channel4News something else to talk about. Don't go back WAR 🤣🤣🤣

[@Sgt_Bill_T_Co]

Birds of prey only take a small proportion of game birds, maybe they should breed a few extra... Think I'll holiday somewhere other than Yorks next year.

[@Pogo-A-Gogo]

Lots of "we" being used here. I think you'll find it's a very minute few doing this...

[@robertskolimowski7049]

5:50 No no no, u just cannot seem to be able to police yourselves, that's why🙄

[@mdayaan296]

Crazy water 15

[@nickh2458]

Evil.....

[@commentarytalk1446]

Agree about bureaucracy being a negative outcome. That's just going to be the way the government squeezes area/sectors that it wants to bulldoze out of the way. Not a fan of shoots myself but I don't like the dirty work the gov does behind the scenes either: It effects too many areas eg building, farming, education and many many more... just ends up making ordinary people living their lives doing their best in 99% of cases making onerous over-head to worry about daily.

[@tothelighthouse9843]

Ridiculous comment. When these rich estate owners refuse to manage themselves correctly, you're content to just say 'Let them do what they want'. If they were shooting children instead of birds, would that galvanize you? Or would they have to be pointing their guns directly at you before you realized that government regulations protect both the public & wildlife from the predations of powerful people. These rich people believe they're above the law because people like you bow & scrape to them. Instead, rich people need to be forced to recognize we're all the same before the law.

[@DesignerVamp]

You're not a man, not a true hunter if you can only "shoot fish in a barrel"

[@buckodonnghaile4309]

Birds arent real.

[@kopynd1]

name them Ian you know who they are tell the rspb

[@tanyashcherbakova9151]

Dry bear 36

[@vardanmid6558]

Clever advocat 78

[@indyreno2933]

White-Tailed Sea Eagle Classification: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Class: Aves Subclass: Neornithes Superorder: Palaeoaves Order: Falconiformes Suborder: Accipitres Superfamily: Aquiloidea Family: Aquilidae Subfamily: Aquilinae Tribe: Haliaeetini Genus: Haliaeetus Species: H. albicilla

[@donnievance1942]

Wow. You can use Wikipedia.

[@NoziFoodBloger]

Strong baby 65

[@Desertfox170]

All UN true channel 4 come on

[@Blaz1rrr]

Brave snake 13

[@rachelkristine4669]

The Great Yorkshire Vet, Dr James Herriot, would be DISGUSTED! SHAME ON U YORKSHIRE! I expected better from u. Am sure Mr Herriot & his family would too, as he loved ALL animals! ALL CREATURES GREAT & SMALL, THE LORD GOD MADE THEM ALL! 🥺

[@reverendbarker650]

Nice to see the UK class system still alive and well and working for the toffs and their mates. NOT !

[@Jo28147]

:(

[@user-dd1oq8ll6i]

Bestia linda 34

[@artstrology]

Wealth to the weak minded always elevates them in their own minds above the law. It is dangerous to birds AND people.

[@Leon99912]

There is a place where shooting and conservation can and does coexist. The typecasts that the only people who want to protect birds of prey are hippies driving ex-royal mail vans with one green door and people who shoot are all rich toffs driving £100k 4X4s is clearly garbage, posted by those with no real understanding. I got into a conversation with a gamekeeper managing land I was staying on, where I asked him the species of a bird of prey I was seeing throughout the day. He provided me with in-depth detail and description of the birds I would have seen, including golden and white tailed eagle, Osprey, Harris Hawks and Buzzards, where he spoke with real passion about particular returning pairs of birds. I commented that they must treat his game birds like McDonalds, to which he just shrugged his shoulders and said that they simply expect to lose a percentage and account for that, but when guests come to shoot, all of the other things they see in between shooting adds to the day and ultimately the experience, which for him means good reputation and ultimately business. Some people eat meat, some people don’t. Some people could kill what they eat, some people couldn’t. You can’t typecast one as a murdering psychopath and the other a tree hugging extremist. I couldn’t have labelled that gentleman I spoke to as one of either gamekeeper or conservationist, as he was clearly both. I probably speak for the vast majority of both anti and pro shooting sides, when people break the law, absolutely drag them through the courts and make them pay. But they shouldn’t be used as a weapon to drive an agenda on either side.

[@zen4men]

Coming from the land, it is good to see a comment full of CommonZense!

[@napalmholocaust9093]

Mind your betters. The law does not apply to them, only the rabble.

[@markchester7584]

I just can’t trust a word that comes out of an RSPB representative’s mouth anymore which is why I can’t contribute to their cause.

[@zetectic7968]

I see you have a troll account so why should we trust you.

[@markchester7584]

@@zetectic7968 I’m not trying to convince anyone of anything so you can take my comments or leave them. Your choice.

[@troutbumandsam5394]

Killing birds or any animal for "sport" should be illegal, end of story//troutbumandsam

[@yetidodger6650]

they poisoned a sea eagle in Arundel.

[@sandrathompson1277]

This is why I do not eat animals or birds…

[@paddydoyle4234]

A bird travelled 3km every day to hunt on a neighbouring game estate, tells you all you need to know about the state of the nature reserves. No food present so the bird travels to somewhere there is, no doubt directly preying on grouse chicks. Look at what happened to langholm moor if you want to see what happens to an estate that goes from one managed for shooting, to one ran by societies like the RSPB. Hen harriers and sea eagles are found worldwide, red grouse are only present in the UK and Ireland, so they should get priority.

[@skrich9690]

So we give priority to breeding a bird that will subsequently be shot in large numbers??

[@paddydoyle4234]

@@skrich9690 the reason they are able to be shot in large numbers is because of the management of there habitat. How much money will hen harriers bring to the economy?

[@borisfargo1290]

Rspb catch birds of prey with snares on moors to check their tags so all it takes is one bent memeber of staff to try and make shooting look bad

[@zetectic7968]

Oh a conspiracy theorist 🙄

[@borisfargo1290]

@@zetectic7968 nope

[@tastypymp1287]

Linked to immigrants more like.

[@mikescott4008]

Typical idiotic comment

[@bradjohnson8750]

Who cares?

[@brianeke2586]

The same old rhetoric by RSPB. 🤦‍♂️

[@zetectic7968]

Idiotic troll.

[@mikes8917]

RSPB is a political campaigning organisation, these are accusations with no evidence. If you have evidence take the game keepers to court or you are making slanderous comments.

[@ingni123456]

What accusations? They're just stating the evidence and noting the trends. Is tracking data and two poisoned birds on the same estate not evidence? It sounds like you're having an emotional reaction to very reasonable people doing their job and trying to uphold the nature and laws of our country.

[@davidlamb7524]

The evidence is shot and poisoned birds and where they were found The police investigation needs to be more thorough.

[@zetectic7968]

Lies! I see you have a troll account. Look at the data plenty of populations have not recovered in areas around shooting estates & birds are found shot or poisoned in close proximity. There have been prosecutions because of unsafe storage of poison kept to "kill crows". It is an awful of of coincidences.