THE police and the RSPB are investigating the sudden disappearance of another satellite tagged hen harrier in North Yorkshire.

The bird, named River, was one of several hen harrier chicks in England fitted with a satellite tag as part of the charity’s Hen Harrier LIFE project last summer.

The lightweight tags allow the charity to monitor the birds after they fledge.

Her tag’s last known transmission came on November 14 - from a driven grouse moor between Colsterdale and Nidderdale – an area with a history of bird of prey persecution.

The bird was known to have been hunting and roosting in the area for several weeks.

RSPB investigations staff and police searched the area, but there was no sign of the bird or the tag, and she has not been heard from since.

Mark Thomas, head of RSPB investigations UK, said: “Again we have news of a disappeared harrier, again in North Yorkshire, and again last known to be on a grouse moor. Hen harriers are barely clinging on as a breeding species in England. They should be a common and joyful sight over the moorlands of North Yorkshire, however the reality is most people only know them as being rare and persecuted.

“The idea that this bird may have been deliberately targeted is incredibly worrying, especially in the context of eight others which have vanished in similar circumstances. When a tagged hen harrier dies naturally, we expect the tag to continue transmitting, enabling us to find the body. This was not the case here. Instead, there was no trace of the tag or the bird, which is highly suspicious. When hen harriers disappear like this over an area with a history of raptor persecution, it’s hard not to draw conclusions.”

All birds of prey are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

To kill or injure one is a criminal offence and could result in an unlimited fine or up to six months in jail.

Hen harriers are rare birds which nest in moorland, especially in the uplands of Northern England and Scotland. However just nine nests were recorded in England last year, despite enough prey and habitat to support more than 300 pairs. They have not successfully bred in North Yorkshire since 2007.

More than 30 hen harriers were tagged last summer in the UK. Between August and November, nine, including a tenth bird tagged in 2017, disappeared at different locations in the country.

The RSPB’s latest Birdcrime report showed that North Yorkshire is consistently the worst county in the UK for recorded bird of prey persecution, accumulating significantly more confirmed incidents in the last five years than anywhere else.

In 2012, hen harrier ‘Bowland Betty’ was found shot at nearby Colsterdale. A reward was offered but no culprit was identified.

Anyone with any information about raptor persecution, can contact the Raptor Crime Hotline confidentially, on 0300 999 0101.

If you find a wild bird of prey which you suspect has been illegally killed, contact RSPB investigations on 01767 680551 or fill in the online form: rspb.org.uk/our-work/our-positions-and-campaigns/positions/wildbirdslaw/reportform.aspx