Two hen harrier chicks rescued after mother shot dead in the Muirkirk area of East Ayrshire

Two hen harrier chicks have been taken in to care by the SSPCA after their mother was found shot dead close to the nest in the Muirkirk area of East Ayrshire. The dead female was found by a Raptor Study Group member in a routine monitoring visit. Efforts are being made to find a suitable foster nest for the two chicks. The police have launched an investigation into the killing. There has long been concern about hen harrier persecution in Muirkirk, an area designated with special protection status due to its importance for breeding hen harriers. The Scottish Raptor Study Group remains deeply concerned about the failure of successive governments to protect these and other upland raptor species across large swathes of the country.