2026 was another successful breeding season for Hen Harriers in Bowland.
5 min read
Hen Harriers are one of the most charismatic yet also most threatened bird species nesting in our uplands. The Forest of Bowland has long been their most important breeding stronghold in England thanks to collaborative conservation efforts centred on the United Utilities Bowland Estate, where the RSPB works in partnership with United Utilities and their tenants to monitor and protect these iconic birds.
Over the last decade, Hen Harrier numbers have steadily recovered in Bowland following their complete absence as a breeding species in 2016 and 2017. For the past six years, the population has stabilised at an average of 13 breeding females, fluctuating between 10 and 16 annually, with 84% nesting on the United Utilities Estate. This is comparable to the number of breeding females recorded in Bowland in the 2000s, before the population collapsed alongside the wider decline of the species in England.
2026 was another successful breeding season for Hen Harriers in Bowland; breeding numbers were lower compared to the record-breaking season in 2025 but breeding success was higher, likely owing to increased prey abundance. RSPB staff and volunteers monitored nine Hen Harrier nests on the United Utilities Estate, eight of which were successful and fledged 30 young. One nest failed as the female received insufficient food from her polygamous male and was forced to hunt herself, leaving her clutch unattended. A Lesser Black-Backed Gull was later observed visiting the nest, but it remains unclear if it scavenged the eggs after the female deserted or if it took advantage of her absence to predate the clutch. Two additional nests were recorded by Natural England on private estates, which were both successful and fledged a further six chicks, resulting in a total of 11 nests in the Bowland Fells.
A melancholic note in an otherwise successful season - our oldest and most productive breeding female did not return to nest on the United Utilities Estate this year and has most likely perished over the winter. Fledged on Langholm Moor in 2017 and aptly nick-named ‘Scottish Fury’ for her aggressive behaviour, she first nested on the Estate in 2018. Over the following eight breeding seasons she fledged an extraordinary 35 chicks, making a remarkable contribution to the breeding population and leaving a lasting legacy, with some of her descendants also nesting in Bowland.
The sustained recovery of Hen Harriers in Bowland reflects the success of partnership working and the commitment of landowners and tenants. However, despite this local success, the species’ recovery across England continues to face significant challenges, including illegal persecution, changes in land use and habitat loss.
