DOZENS of birds of prey have been illegally killed or targeted in Herefordshire, it has been revealed.

The RSPB has revealed that there have been 34 confirmed incidents of raptor persecution in the county between 2008 and 2021.

Data shows that birds of prey including buzzards, hobbies, red kites, and peregrine falcons have fallen victim to poisonings, shootings, and illegal pole or spring traps in Herefordshire.

In Herefordshire, two birds of prey, a hobby and a peregrine falcon, were killed in 2008, both by shooting.

The county saw four confirmed deaths in 2009, with one buzzard shot and three poisoned by bait which tested positive for bendiocarb, a highly toxic insecticide. A further 11 instances of bait poisoned with bendiocarb being left to target birds of prey were confirmed in Herefordshire that year.

OTHER NEWS:

One peregrine falcon fell victim to shooting in Herefordshire in 2010, while two illegal pole or spring traps designed to target birds of prey were found in the county in 2013.

Three buzzards were shot in the county in 2016, and a further two in 2017, while four red kites were poisoned in 2018, with two testing positive for pesticide aldicarb and two for pesticide carbofuran, and one red kite was shot in Herefordshire in 2019.

Two incidences of bait spiked with bendiocarb and carbofuran were confirmed in 2021, with one claiming the life of a buzzard, while a further unspecified incident of raptor persecution was also reported in Herefordshire that year.

The RSPB said all wild birds and their nests are protected by law, including birds of prey, but that persecution remains a persistent problem.

"As ever, there’s a startlingly clear connection between raptor persecution and land managed for gamebird shooting," the charity said.

Over two thirds (71 per cent) of all confirmed incidents of raptor persecution in 2021 related to land managed for gamebird shooting, the charity said, compared to 26 per cent in 2020.

The RSPB said it was also concerned by the number of dead birds of prey that have tested positive for lethal levels of rodenticide, and is working to monitor and ascertain whether this is due to misuse or direct abuse.

Want to stay up to date with all the latest Herefordshire court and crime news? Click here to join our Hereford Times Court and Crime group on Facebook or click here to sign up for our weekly court and crime email newsletter.