Birds of prey

Nidderdale National Landscape is home to a wide range of birds of prey.

With breeding populations of merlin, buzzard, kestrel, peregrine falcon, red kite and hen harrier and frequent visitors such as osprey.

They are an important part of the rich wildlife that makes Nidderdale National Landscape a special place for nature. They are also under threat from illegal persecution and we are working with partners to safeguard these magnificent birds.

Birds of Prey Conservation

The 2019-2024 Nidderdale AONB Management Plan sets out the partnership’s objective for our birds of prey. As part of improving the condition of the area’s priority habitats and species, we will:

• Work with land owners, moorland managers, the police and others to safeguard birds of prey and prevent their illegal persecution in Nidderdale National Landscape.

Most of the land within Nidderdale National Landscape is owned by private landowners, including a number of grouse moor estates. The Nidderdale National Landscape team works closely with landowners, gamekeepers and land managers to help them conserve and enhance the land they look after and the habitats and wildlife species that it supports.

We recognise and appreciate the conservation efforts made by many landowners, gamekeepers and land managers. As well as acknowledging the need to eradicate raptor persecution, many estates are actively working to conserve birds of prey on their land and to help record raptor populations. The Nidderdale National Landscape team will continue to work with gamekeepers and shooting estates on these positive efforts.

Ending Raptor Persecution

Nidderdale National Landscape unreservedly condemns the illegal persecution of birds of prey. All wildlife crime is completely unacceptable.

Birds of prey are protected by law (Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981). Despite this, there are more confirmed incidents of persecution in North Yorkshire than in any other county in England. This must change. Raptor persecution undermines the positive work of landowners, gamekeepers, land managers and the many conservation groups, charities and volunteers who work alongside us as custodians of the countryside, actively improving prospects for all wildlife in Nidderdale National Landscape.

North Yorkshire Police lead the efforts against illegal persecution of birds of prey. The Nidderdale National Landscape team, alongside other partners, strongly support them. We will continue to work with the Police to help put an end to these illegal acts.

Reporting Raptor Persecution

If you know of, or encounter, any form of raptor persecution then you should report it to North Yorkshire Police immediately – ask to speak to a Wildlife Crime Officer.

Operation Owl is an initiative to raise awareness among the public about raptor persecution. Nidderdale National Landscape is a partner in the project whose aim is to empower people who live in or visit the area to know how to look out for and report wildlife crime.

Partnership Working

The Yorkshire Dales Bird of Prey Partnership

The Yorkshire Dales National Park Management Plan and the Nidderdale National Landscape Management Plan both include objectives to tackle the illegal persecution of birds of prey and owls. This involves working closely with landowners, moorland managers, the Police and other key stakeholders to devise and implement a local approach to end illegal persecution of raptors.

Given the comparable management plan objectives, the same issues affecting bird of prey populations in both protected landscapes and the two areas comprising a contiguous area of similar upland habitat, a joint steering group was established in 2019 comprising a broad coalition of partners with a shared commitment to bird of prey conservation.

The group includes representatives from:

• British Association for Shooting & Conservation
• Country Land & Business Association
• Cumbria Constabulary
• The Moorland Association
• National Gamekeepers Organisation
• Natural England
• Nidderdale National Landscape
• North Yorkshire Police
• Northern England Raptor Forum
• Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority

Natural England are the lead organisation for the delivery of the management plan objective in the National Park. The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority provides the Chair and Secretariat for the steering group as a whole.

The group aims to publish an annual report summarising bird of prey population status, monitoring and protection efforts, and confirmed persecution incidents in the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Nidderdale National Landscape.

The latest evidence report has been published (April 2024) and can be seen here: Bird of Prey Evidence Report 2022 and 2023 for the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Nidderdale National Landscape.

Many of the organisations represented on the steering group undertake survey and monitoring work, so the comprehensiveness of this report, and those to follow, will always be dependent on the data supplied. That said, the content prepared for this report has been compiled and agreed with the full support of all members of the group.

Previous Reports

Our 2019 Birds of Prey in Nidderdale AONB Evidence Report provides the baseline for measuring future progress on our work with partners to achieve our Management Plan objective for birds of prey. The report sets out the state of key upland raptor populations, both nationally and within Nidderdale National Landscape, and assesses confirmed incidents of persecution in the area. It was based on the best information available at the time of publication.

Bird of Prey Evidence Report 2020 for the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Nidderdale AONB, provides a baseline from which progress can be measured over the coming years.

Bird of Prey Evidence Report 2021 for the Yorkshire Dales National Park and Nidderdale AONB.