Hen Harrier staging comeback at Swinton Estate near Ripon

Hen harriers have had another great year rearing chicks on grouse moors in England, including on the Swinton Estate near Ripon.

Swinton is one of several reports of successful nests from different parts of the country.

Land managers have reported 24 successful nests on moorland in Northumberland, North Yorkshire, County Durham, Cumbria, Derbyshire and Lancashire. Of the 24 successful nests, 19 are on moors managed for red grouse. It is thought that at least 77 chicks have fledged.

The harrier is one of the most at-risk birds of prey in the UK and a government-led action plan is in operation to help boost the population.

Of the UK's birds of prey, they mainly eat small birds and mammals and it is the most intensively persecuted of the country's raptors as its effect on the number of grouse available to shoot is the cause of modern conflict and threatens its survival in some parts of the UK, particularly on the driven grouse moors of England and Scotland.

Despite this last year, there were 19 successful Hen Harrier nests, of which 12 were on moors managed for red grouse and 60 chicks fledged.

This year’s data shows a further improvement in the population, following on from 2020 which was in itself a record-breaking year for Hen Harrier breeding on grouse moors.

Hen Harrier breeding and the number of fledged chicks have shown remarkable progress since the introduction of the government-led Hen Harrier recovery plan in 2016 and the availability of the Brood Management trial two years later.

Upwards of 230 chicks have fledged, many benefiting from being fed additional food by gamekeepers.

Amanda Anderson is the director of the Moorland Association.

She said: “This is another excellent year for hen harrier breeding and the wonderful pictures and footage we are seeing from our members’ moors is truly heartening.

"Three good years in a row shows that we have the right strategy to help the population to recover to a sustainable level, occupying a much greater area of England.

“The management carried out on grouse moors by gamekeepers provides an ideal habitat for birds of prey, with fewer predators to steal their eggs, and good numbers of prey species such as small mammals and other birds.

"We will continue to support initiatives that are delivering results for the UK’s hen harrier population.”

The innovative Brood Management Trial involves grouse moor managers and conservation organisations working together, under strict licence, to test the best chances of nesting success for this very rare bird.