A glimmer of hope for Hen Harriers despite continued persecution?
We look at the latest breeding figures and why we need transparency in tackling the threats they face.
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The Hen Harrier remains one of England’s rarest birds of prey. However, this year’s breeding results, published by Natural England, offer reasons for cautious optimism. After the drop experienced in 2024, numbers have risen, with 44 breeding females recorded across England in 2026. Those birds made 45 breeding attempts and successfully fledged 112 chicks. Every fledged chick represents a glimmer of hope for the future of a species that was once almost lost as a breeding bird in England.
RSPB staff, volunteers and partners have once again played a major role in these successes. At Geltsdale, in Cumbria, four breeding attempts produced 13 fledged young, the highest number recorded on the reserve in more than a century. In the Forest of Bowland, in Lancashire, eight of nine monitored nests successfully fledged 30 chicks, helping to sustain one of England’s most important Hen Harrier strongholds. These achievements reflect years of dedication, careful monitoring and habitat management.
Populations remain low
But while these results deserve celebration, they should not distract us from a more uncomfortable reality. England’s Hen Harrier population remains a fraction of what it could and should be. An independent government-commissioned study estimated that England could support as many as 340 breeding pairs. Against that benchmark, the 44 breeding females recorded this year amount to only around 14% of the species’ potential population.
The distribution of breeding birds tells a similarly troubling story. Hen Harriers remain concentrated in a handful of areas, particularly Northumberland and Lancashire, while they are largely absent from vast swathes of suitable upland habitat. In the Yorkshire Dales and Nidderdale, for example, there were just three nesting attempts this year compared with 15 in 2023. Meanwhile, only nine nests were recorded on land primarily managed for grouse shooting, despite driven grouse moors covering extensive areas of England’s uplands that should provide ideal habitat for this species.
Ongoing illegal persecution
The reason for this continuing absence is not a mystery. Decades of evidence show that illegal persecution remains the single greatest barrier to Hen Harrier recovery. The RSPB’s analysis has found that 73% of confirmed persecution incidents involving birds of prey over the last decade were linked to land managed for grouse shooting. In 2023 alone, 31 Hen Harriers were confirmed or suspected victims of persecution, including 28 satellite-tagged birds, with most incidents occurring on or near grouse moors.
This is why it is frankly ludicrous to see Natural England’s annual summary make no direct reference to illegal persecution, instead describing the challenges facing Hen Harriers as “conflicting land management priorities”. While different land uses can create tensions, the evidence is clear that criminal activity continues to suppress Hen Harrier numbers far below their natural level.
Ten years on from the launch of the Joint Hen Harrier Action Plan, Hen Harriers are still missing from much of England’s uplands and persecution remains stubbornly high. The modest gains seen in 2026, are welcome but if we are serious about restoring Hen Harriers to their rightful place across England’s uplands, tackling illegal persecution and the reform of the shooting industry must remain at the heart of the conversation. Only then can this remarkable bird make the full recovery it needs.
