Red kite shot dead in Aberdeenshire

The police and RSPB Scotland are appealing for information following the discovery of a dead red kite in woodland near Aboyne, Aberdeenshire in April. The bird was a three year-old female originating from Perthshire and she had successfully reared three chicks in Aberdeenshire in 2012. Her death adds to a long-running tally of illegally-killed red kites in Scotland since their reintroduction in 1989: at least 75 kites are known to have been poisoned and a further seven are known to have been victims of illegal shooting, trapping and nest destruction. The police have been criticised for their cryptic press release regarding this latest incident.