Monitoring and Protecting Birds of Prey in the Peak District.
The Peak District Bird of Prey Initiative was originally set up in 2011 by the Peak District National Park Authority to monitor the region’s key birds of prey and improve their numbers to levels not seen since the 1990s. This work is now continued by other members of the initiative, independently of the Authority.
A long-term survey by the British Trust for Ornithology shows raptor numbers in the Peak District have risen dramatically since 2005, with some species increasing tenfold in line with national recovery. This success reflects the combined efforts of land managers, conservationists, and gamekeepers, supported by the independent Peak District Bird of Prey Initiative.
“The hen harrier is an indicator of the health of our upland environment”
— Duncan Orr Ewing, Head of Species and Land Management, RSPB Scotland