The RSPB and Peregrine falcons

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The RSPB are still using the good old chestnut that Peregrine falcons are endangered and need to be protected by public funds. The truth is that Peregrine falcons are so common they have reached saturated point in some areas in the UK. Peregrine falcons even nest in London as wells as other cities in the UK. Note the previously mentioned maxim is confirmed by David A. Stroud Senior Ornithologist UK Joint Nature Conservation Committee correspondence below. It could be argued that the RSPB without any supporting evidence is trying to generate hysteria to collect 2.4 million from the Animal Health Department. This Department can also feed off the hysteria to exist and to justify the Environment Minister. The Government seems to need this propaganda and as a result oppression still occurs now because must breeders now produce hybrids.

 

 

 

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RSPB Fears Increase in Wild Bird Crimes if Government Scraps Bird Registration Scheme UK & Ireland Species

 

This page contains reader comments.

 

Peregrine Falcon: If the scheme is axed it could risk an increase in nest robberies, especially of highly sought-after birds of prey such as Peregrines and Goshawks (photo: Richard Bedford).

The withdrawal of a scheme requiring bird keepers to register individuals of the most threatened bird species held in captivity could lead to an increase in the number of birds, especially Peregrine Falcons and Goshawks, plundered from the wild, believes the RSPB.

The government's bird-registration scheme has been pivotal in preventing 'laundered' wild-caught birds being passed off as those bred in captivity. Despite the scheme's success in protecting wild birds, the RSPB fears the government may axe the scheme to reduce bureaucracy and save costs. A government consultation on the future of the scheme ends today Friday 16th February, 2007.

The RSPB is campaigning to save the scheme which is currently under review by Defra. Duncan McNiven, an RSPB investigations officer, said: "We believe that if the scheme is axed it could risk an increase in nest robberies, especially of highly sought-after birds of prey. Peregrines and Goshawks command a high price and the lure of turning a quick profit might encourage unscrupulous nest robbers to take chicks from the wild and try to launder them as birds bred in captivity."

 

Peregrine Falcon: (photo: Richard Bedford).

The RSPB believes Defra is prudent to examine the level of bureaucracy associated with the scheme but believes that its importance to bird conservation should not be compromised by a paper-cutting exercise, especially as reported Peregrine nest robberies are at an all-time low.

Evidence from the bird registration scheme in combination with DNA testing has led to the successful conviction of 15 people found guilty of offences involving wild birds.

Duncan McNiven added: "The registration scheme is an essential enforcement tool which enables the police to trace individual birds and use DNA-profiling to establish whether captive breeding claims are true or not. It has proved a powerful deterrent against nest robberies. The number of wild Peregrine thefts and the number of convictions are both down as a result. Without this scheme the police will struggle to enforce the law."

The consultation period on the 'Review of Registration under Section 7 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981' ends today on 16th February after which Defra will decide on the fate of the scheme. A previous consultation on this issue took place as recently as 2002, which resulted in an overwhelming endorsement for the continuation of the scheme.

The two species arguably most threatened by the axing of the scheme include the Goshawk and the Peregrine. Both species have had a chequered history in the UK. Following centuries of persecution, the Peregrine falcon population crashed in the 1960s, disappearing from many areas in the UK. The population has recently recovered to about 1,400 nesting pairs, although it has declined again in some parts of the country. The Goshawk was persecuted to extinction in Britain. However, in the 1960s it became re-established as a nesting bird, largely as a result of individual Goshawks escaping from collections or deliberate releases.

 

Peregrine Falcon: (photo: Steve Round).

RSPB

Thursday 15th February 2007

Bird registration requires all birds listed on Schedule 4 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to be individually marked (usually with a leg ring) and registered with Defra. Species listed include some of the UKs rarest breeding birds such as Golden Eagle, Red Kite, Goshawk, Peregrine, Bearded Tit and Chough. Captive bred specimens for some of these species can demand high prices, typically up to 700 for a Peregrine and up to 1,500 for a Goshawk.

Related pages

Peregrine Falcon

Goshawk

________________________________________

The information in this article was believed correct at the time of writing. BirdGuides Ltd accepts no responsibility for errors, or for any consequences of acting on information in the article. The opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily shared by BirdGuides Ltd.

Reader comments (2)

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This is typical of the RSPB's stance on "captive" raptors and falconry in particular. What isn't mentioned is that the registration scheme under review at the moment is superfluous - even if scrapped there is still a European wide system running concurrently with the UK/DEFRA registration - effectively meaning all registerable species are registered TWICE at the moment. If the DEFRA scheme is scrapped as a waste of tax payers money the birds will still be protected under the Article 10... more

 

Karl Jennings, 16/02/07 10:35 Inappropriate

 

I cannot agree with Karl's comments regarding adequate protection or the RSPB's attitude to people who choose to keep birds of prey. CITES has quite a few restrictions concerning what are known as Annex A species, Goshawk and Peregrine are included here. The European scheme additionally does not cover all aspects that the DEFRA scheme sought to deal with. Bottom line is that so-called disabled and non-commercially kept birds need not be registered under CITES; the DEFRA scheme, now... more

 

Matt Andrews, 20/02/07 13:47

 

Thank you for your letter of 19th May 2005 which has been passed to me. Any

releases of peregrine falcons would have to be in accordance with the

provisions of the current legislation: the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981

as amended (WCA). Section 14 of that Act (as amended) is particularly

relevant to your proposal, but other aspects of the law may also be

relevant. It would be an offence to release a peregrine falcon that was of

a kind that is not ordinarily resident in or a regular visitor to Great

Britain in a wild state, or is a hybrid (Scottish legislation). The Nature

Conservation Scotland Act 2004, which amends the WCA in Scotland, states

that guidance is available from the Scottish Ministers on non-native

species, which includes hybrids. For interpretation of the law, I would

advise that you to contact the Scottish Executive, DEFRA or the Welsh

Assembly, depending on the relevant country to your proposed release area.

I am unable to give any more specific advice on interpretation of the legal

context.

 

We would not currently favour the release of peregrine falcons from captive

breeding programmes as such releases would not meet the IUCN Guidelines for

Re-introductions (www.iucn.org/themes/ssc/pubs/policy/reinte.htm), to which

the UK government, its advisors and the wider conservation sector adhere.

In particular, but not exclusively, few suitable release areas exist that

are not already occupied by wild peregrine falcons, and the wild population

is still increasing (10% since 1991) and has recovered to over 60% higher

than it was in the 1930s (before the population crash). A poorly planned

release may be detrimental to any local population of birds in a number of

ways. I would advise you to review your proposals under the IUCN

guidelines.

 

Depending on where you are considering releases, I would advise you to

contact the relevant conservation agency (Scottish Natural Heritage, English

Nature, or the Countryside Council for Wales) for further guidance.

 

Yours sincerely

 

David Stroud

 

 

 

David A. Stroud

Senior Ornithologist

UK Joint Nature Conservation Committee

Monkstone House, City Road

Peterborough PE1 1JY

United Kingdom

 

Tel: +44 (0)1733

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it would be intresting to see exactly what arsepb and the arsepca do spend the public money on?

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Does any one know why Nick Williams has been moved from his place in DEFRA?

 

I could try and find out for you Chris, we have quite abit to do with them on the farm

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it would be intresting to see exactly what arsepb and the arsepca do spend the public money on?

 

Dont forget the RSPB is a charity its all the tweeters that put their hands in their pockets