Spate of attacks on birds of prey in 2021, RSPB report reveals

England's tally of 80 confirmed incidents is second-highest figure since records began

There were 108 confirmed incidents of illegal persecution of birds of prey across Britain in 2021, according to the RSPB's annual bird crime report.

England's tally of 80 confirmed persecution incidents was the second-highest figure since records began in 1990, after an unprecedented surge in wildlife crime during the pandemic year of 2020. That year, a record 137 known incidents of bird of prey persecution were logged by the RSPB, with lockdowns seemingly creating an increased opportunity to kill raptors without detection.