THERE are few finer wildlife sights than a bird of prey wheeling over that most stunning of landscapes, the Yorkshire Dales - almost, for we earthbound humans, the epitome of freedom.

But there are increasing concerns that some of the Dales', and Britain's, most iconic bird species could soon disappear from the country - victims of climate change and an ecosystem that is increasingly out of balance.

The latest bird of prey recognised as under serious threat is the hen harrier, whose breeding pairs in England have dropped significantly.

Now The Department of Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has developed an action plan in conjunction with several conservation organisations, including the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Moorland Association and Natural England, that it is hoped will arrest the decline of what is one of the most iconic birds of the Dales.

The plan will help to secure the hen harrier's future in the Dales by:

* Monitoring numbers in England and the UK via satellite tagging and tracking.

* Encouraging the provision of food by sharing best practice with land managers and gamekeepers.

* Analysing intelligence on persecution and delivering more effective enforcement and deterrence measures.

* Monitoring and protecting nests and winter roosts from disturbance and destruction.

DEFRA is also looking at the possible reintroduction of breeding pairs in the south of England.

Some of these actions, like monitoring and sharing best practice, are already under way at known nesting sites, which include the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire.

Moorland Association director Amanda Anderson, who lives in Austwick, said: “We are delighted that the recovery plan has been launched to help hen harriers breed sustainably across their former range in England. The plan contains exciting new actions that we are looking forward to working on with others to ensure they are successful.”

This is not the first time that the hen harrier has been under threat on mainland Britain.

Two hundred years ago the harrier was found across much of Britain, but by 1900 it was no longer breeding here. By 1940 there were only an estimated 50 to 60 breeding pairs, and they were in in the Orkneys off Scotland's north coast.

The hen harrier gradually recovered to some extent and moved back into Scotland and the grouse-moors of northern England.

It recolonised the north, including the Yorkshire Dales, in the late 1960s. A few pairs since then have tried to breed in the Dales National Park, but there have been no nesting attempts monitored in the park since 2007.

There are believed to be around 6,500 breeding pairs in the UK, though fewer then 20 of these are known to be in England. There is estimated to be enough suitable habitat for over 300 breeding pairs in northern England, but only four pairs were successful in 2014 and six in 2015.

The bird's choice of nesting habitat has served it badly in its relationship with humans. They like to nest on heather moorland, the majority of which in the UK is managed for grouse shooting, and hen harriers are known to prey on young grouse, which in the past did not endear then to gamekeepers.

Rob Cooke, Natural England’s director of terrestrial biodiversity, said: "We welcome the publication of DEFRA’s plan, which sets out an important set of actions to help improve the conservation status of hen harriers in England.

"We are looking forward to working with a range of organisations and land managers to help secure a future for the hen harrier as a breeding bird in England."