The sparrowhawk was found dead in the Cradlehall Area of Inverness.<\/p>\n
Police Scotland and RSPB Scotland are appealing for information after a male sparrowhawk was shot in Inverness.<\/p>\n
The bird was found dead<\/a> in the Cradlehall area and was later confirmed to have been shot with a shotgun.<\/p>\n \u00b7 More environment news<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00b7 Subscribe to our newsletter <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n On 6 March 2025, a member of the public reported to the RSPB Scotland that they had noticed a bird of prey dead on the ground.<\/p>\n The next day, in agreement with Police Scotland, an RSPB Scotland Investigations Officer then collected the bird\u2019s body and sent it for testing to establish the cause of death.<\/p>\n A post-mortem by a vet revealed a pellet lodged within the bird\u2019s chest, and concluded that the bird had been shot with a shotgun.<\/p>\n It added that the bird could have died some distance from where it was shot, before later dying from an infection and starvation as a result of the shooting.<\/p>\n A post-mortem has confirmed that a dead Sparrowhawk found in Inverness last month had been shot with a shotgun.<\/p>\n RSPB Scotland and @PoliceScotland<\/a> are appealing for anyone with information in connection to this incident to come forward.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcf8: Fiona Howie pic.twitter.com\/mWLAWH29uN<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 RSPB Scotland (@RSPBScotland) April 23, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n All wild birds are legally protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and anyone found to have killed or injured a bird of prey faces an unlimited fine or even jail.<\/p>\n Now, Police Scotland are appealing to anyone with information in connection with this incident to come forward.<\/p>\n Ian Thomson, RSPB Scotland’s Head of Investigations, said: \u201cSparrowhawks are one of the birds of prey you or I are most likely to encounter, as they live alongside us in parks and gardens. They hunt small birds by stealth and can be identified by their brilliantly piercing yellow eyes. The presence of sparrowhawks and other birds of prey is a good indicator of a healthy and balanced ecosystem.<\/p>\n \u201cThis bird was shot with a shotgun, resulting in a drawn-out and painful death. Few people have access to such weapons, with even fewer motivated to shoot at protected birds of prey.<\/p>\n \u201cWe ask that if anyone has information about this incident, to please get in touch with Police Scotland or ourselves.\u201d<\/p>\n Thomas Plant, Bea Ayling and Shona R\u00fcesch of the Inverness Urban Sparrowhawk Project have been studying the sparrowhawk population in Inverness since 2020.<\/p>\n They commented: \u201cWe are absolutely devastated to hear that someone has shot one of these beautiful and majestic birds: one we may have been monitoring this year here in Inverness.<\/p>\n \u201cAs part of our voluntary monitoring we have been checking nest sites and colour-ringing sparrowhawks (with support and funding from the Highland Raptor Study Group (HRSG).<\/p>\n \u201cWe hope that this will help to improve understanding of the local sparrowhawk population, their movements, lifespans and the threats that they face.\u201d<\/p>\n If you have any information relating to this incident, call Police Scotland on 101 quoting reference number CR\/0132125\/25.<\/p>\n If you notice a dead or injured bird of prey in suspicious circumstances, call Police Scotland on 101 and fill in the RSPB\u2019s online reporting form.<\/a>:<\/p>\n \n
Police and RSPB are appealing for information after it was discovered that the bird of prey was shot.<\/p>\n