A hen harrier has been killed illegally on a Perthshire grouse moor.
The remains of the young female, called Rannoch, were discovered by RSPB Scotland last month in a spring trap set illegally in the open on a moor between Crieff and Aberfeldy.
The post mortem report from the SRUC veterinary laboratory said: “The bird was trapped by the left leg in a spring trap at time of death.
“Death will have been due to a combination of shock and blood loss if it died quickly, or to exposure and dehydration/starvation if it died slowly. Either way the bird will have experienced significant unnecessary suffering.”
Rannoch was satellite tagged by the RSPB as part of its Hen Harrier LIFE project back in July 2017.
Her tag monitored her movements until its solar powered battery drained in November before vets were able to determine the bird’s location.
However, her tag came online again in May, and enough information was provided to locate her remains on the grouse moor.
Dr Cathleen Thomas, project manager for the Hen Harrier LIFE project, said: “We are absolutely devastated that Rannoch has been a victim of crime - the life of this beautiful bird was cut short in the most horrific way due to human actions.
“Satellite tagging has revealed the amazing journeys made by hen harriers but also uncovers how their journeys end.
“Often the birds disappear with their tags suddenly ceasing to function as perpetrators go to great lengths to hide the evidence of their crimes - Rannoch’s death in a spring trap is evidence of the way in which these birds are being killed.
“In terms of their population size, hen harriers are the most persecuted bird of prey in the UK, and their population is now perilously low, so every loss we suffer impacts on the survival of the species.”
Rannoch was one of two chicks fledged from a Perthshire nest in July 2017, in an area owned and managed by Forestry and Land Scotland.
Her tag showed she spent most of her time in Perthshire. Anyone with information about this crime or any other bird of prey being illegally persecuted, is urged to contact Police Scotland on 101 or the RSPB’s confidential raptor crime hotline on 0300 999 0101.
