87 bird crime incidents last year and just one conviction, says RSPB

True scale of persecution of birds of prey such as buzzards and owls is likely to be higher

Birds of prey were shot, poisoned, trapped or illegally killed in 87 confirmed incidents in 2018 that led to just one successful conviction, according to the RSPB's annual Birdcrime report.

This persecution of raptors including peregrines, buzzards, red kites and owls is the tip of the iceberg, with many more birds vanishing in mysterious circumstances, according to data from satellite-tagged birds and other intelligence.