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Male Hen Harrier – Jonny Rosborough
This year there will be a full breeding season survey of hen harriers in the UK. The aim is to provide updated estimates of population size and national and regional trends since 2016. The survey is coordinated nationally by RSPB and is being coordinated locally in Northern Ireland by the Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group (NIRSG). The last national survey in 2016 showed a 22% decline in the breeding population of hen harriers in Northern Ireland, from 59 to 46 pairs, reflecting the overall decline in the species across the UK as a whole.
As a red-listed species of great conservation concern, current information on status across the UK range is vital and we need your help more than ever. If you have any sightings of hen harriers between April and August please send these to https://www.nirsg.com/sightings/ along with the time, date, location and behaviour seen. If you would like to take on an area for the survey please contact Eimear at raptorofficerni@gmail.com.
Dr. Eimear Rooney
Raptor Officer NI
Northern Ireland Raptor Study Group
www.nirsg.com
@nirsg
www.facebook.com/nirsg
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Female Hen Harrier – Marc Ruddock