Falcon numbers halved! Only 31 breeding pairs left in nationwide park amid fears over unlawful killings
They may be the fastest creatures on Earth, swooping on prey at speeds of 200mph.
But numbers of peregrine falcons in one of Scotland’s national parks have plummeted in the past two decades, according to a worrying report.
The first major survey of the species in the Cairngorms National Park has shown the number of breeding pairs has slumped by 56 per cent since 2002, leaving just 31 pairs.
The Scottish Raptor Monitoring Scheme study also reveals that fewer than half the park’s territorial pairs successfully fledged young in 2024 and points to various potential reasons for the dramatic decline, including changing land use, decreased food supply, diseases such as avian flu, and wildlife crime.
Ian Thomson, head of investigations at RSPB Scotland, said he believed raptor persecution was a significant threat to the birds’ continued survival.
There are fears for Scotland’s peregrine falcons
Peregrine falcons are the fastest creatures on Earth
Peregrine falcon numbers in the Cairngorm National Park have take a dive
Mr Thomson told The Herald on Sunday: ‘I’m not suggesting other factors like climate change and avian influenza are not important but illegal killing is absolutely playing a part.
‘We are talking about an area, particularly on the eastern side, where food supply for birds of prey is abundant. Peregrine falcon will eat grouse. Unfortunately, some land managers see them as a threat to stocks of game birds, and we know species such as golden eagles, hen harriers and peregrines receive pretty short shrift in some areas.
Unfortunately, some land managers see them as a threat to stocks of game birds, and we know species such as golden eagles, hen harriers and peregrines receive pretty short shrift in some areas.
‘We only ever detect a fraction of persecution incidents anywhere. Those killing birds of prey make efforts to cover up the killing.
‘They are not going to leave the body of a dead bird lying about.’ Grant Moir of the Cairngorms National Park Authority said there was evidence that raptor persecution takes place, and highlighted the case of a peregrine found shot just outside the park boundary around 18 months ago. ‘But it can’t be the only factor,’ he said. ‘Avian flu has had in impact and prey availability will be a part.’
Landowners said that while the reported decline in the peregrine population in the Cairngorms was concerning, it reflected a wider trend observed across UK-wide populations.
Ross Ewing, director of Scottish Land & Estates, said ‘care should be taken when drawing inferences about raptor persecution related to grouse moor management’. He added: ‘Scotland’s official wildlife crime report shows that between 2021/23, there were 19 offences against peregrines recorded in Scotland.
‘However, none of these incidents took place within the Cairngorms National Park, and the vast majority were linked to the illegal laundering of peregrines in the Lothians and Scottish Borders.’
A spokesman for the Scottish Gamekeepers Association said its policy ‘is clear’ and ‘if one of our members is convicted of a wildlife crime, they are removed from the organisation’.
