If the Chinese whispers presently circulating and comments posted on Bird Guides are to be believed, Defra appear to have reached their decision giving the Eagle Owl a firm thumbs down in the UK. If eventually Defra confirm the rumour and speculation which is currently in circulation, after consultation with their partner agencies, certainly all eagle owls throughout the whole of the UK will be culled; this will include non native (escapees), as well as any native birds which already exist in the wild in the UK. However Raptor Politics should point out that Defra have so far not given any indication of what their final decision will be, one way or the other. Raptor Politics now understands that the final decision will be taken by Mr. Richard Benyon MP, The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Minister for the Natural Environment and Fisheries)on Friday.
No one however will be too surprised at the decision taken by Defra if the current rumours are proved correct; the cards were always stacked heavily against Eagle Owls from the very beginning. Just look at the underhanded way FERA handled the implementation of their risk assessment on behalf of Defra.
Only a selected small number of individuals and organisations appear to have been notified by FERA that the risk assessment consultation document even existed. There was justified concern that many Eagle Owl experts and organisations like the World Owl Trust and The International Owl Society were not contacted by FERA. Local raptor study groups with a sound knowledge and understanding of wild Eagle Owls and their ecology on the ground in Lancashire and Yorkshire were never contacted or requested to make their views known to FERA, why?
When the detail of the risk assessment being undertaken finally reached the wider public via the internet thanks to the publicity generated on Face Book and information published on the Raptor Politics Web Site, thousands of comments were then eventually returned to FERA just prior to the cut off period. After the response from the public began to climb the risk assessment details mysteriously disappeared from the Defra Web Site, at one point being relocated elsewhere making the information even more difficult to access. Even Dr. Mark Aviary, the RSPB’s Director of Conservation made a comment that he had struggled to locate the details of the FERA risk assessment on the web.
Until Defra have published their analysis and conclusions of the FERA report, Raptor Politics have decided at this time our comment will be restricted. However there are a number of very important points we wish to highlight now before the door is shut.
From an analysis of pellets recovered in Cumbria, Yorkshire and the Forest of Bowland, the evidence clearly shows that the Eagle Owl are not an invasive species, predating up to 90% on rabbits. Five years ago according to information from Defra itself, conservative figures indicated that the damage caused to the UK environment by rabbits exceeds one hundred million pounds each year. This figure does not include the damage caused to private gardens or allotments and will certainly have increased by now.
There is now suspician that blame will be placed on the shoulders of the Eagle Owl for killing and eating a hen harrier, thus providing justification for a cull. The facts are these, no eagle owl has been observed any where in the UK predating on a hen harrier, or eating it. We feel it is very significant that this year hen harriers in Lancashire’s Forest of Bowland had one of the best breeding seasons for many years producing 23 fledged young. They achieved this high productivity while sharing their moorland ecosystem with at least 3 breeding pairs of eagle owl, two pairs producing 6 owlets. So this leads to the next question, will the Minister’s decision be taken based upon misleading and incorrect data?
The view that the Eagle Owl is a non native species is simply that, an opinion. Fragments of skeletal remains including the right tars metatarsus have been found at Demens Dale, in Derbyshire in 1988, and two pieces of ulna found at the Meare Lake Village site, in Somerset in 1966. The specimen from Demens Dale (not dated), was without doubt from an Eagle Owl. Tony Turk’s article on the Eagle Owl, titled “ The Eagle Owl in Britain 2004 has the Native Returned?” lists many sites where the remains of Eagle Owls have been found from Cornwall in the South of England to the North of Scotland. It was thought that these Owls gradually moved northwards and this has been proven by remains being found in Derbyshire (1823), Orkney (1830), Unst (1863) and Aberdeenshire (1866), this perhaps is why there are a higher concentrations of Eagle Owls on moorlands in the north of England today. As Tony Turk states in his article “ It would not be wise to discount the possibility that with recovering populations of eagle owls on the European Mainland that visitors have already, or will in the future travel to these shores, this is perfectly feasible.”
The isotopic analysis of a feather taken from the Eagle Owl found alive in East Anglia according to Andrew Kelly, initially concluded this bird had originated from Scandinavia. However it seems just before Dr. Kelly moved to a new post he curiously changed his opinion.
On the balance of probability, it is more likely and reasonable to conclude that Eagle Owls have at sometime in the recent past, (within the last few hundred years), crossed the North Sea from mainland Europe into Britain. After all, if the smallest UK bird the Firecrest can fly unaided from one side of the North Sea to the other, it is reasonable to argue so could the Eagle Owl. European Barn Owls and European Scops Owls do so, as does the Short-eared Owl and Snowy Owl, so the argument that Eagle Owls do not cross water does not hold up.
Should Defra succeed in persuading the government to sign all the necessary paper work to push through a cull of Eagle Owls in the UK, complete with European endorsement of this proposal, it will be very disappointing apart being based upon sound science. Will the public be happy that tax payers money will be used to fund such a cull at a time when the public are being told tax rises are on the way? Will raptor groups who have been monitoring these birds on the ground for many years and other ornithological organisations support or wish to take a part in such a cull? We are confident they will not.
It is also very important to highlight that all eagle owls breeding throughout the UK are not only protected by the Wildlife & Countryside Act, they are also protected under European legislation also. Before a cull can go ahead we understand that the UK government may also need to consult Europe for their approval!
If the Minister approves the cull on Friday, the contract should be handed to the National Gamekeepers’ Organisation, after all nothing is more certain their members would carry out the project aims without passing any costs to the tax payer, thus saving many thousands of pounds.
Related Articles – Eagle Owl Cull
http://raptorpolitics.org.uk/?p=1531&cpage=1
http://raptorpolitics.org.uk/?p=882
So here we go again, it beggars belief, the fate of the Eagle Owl rests on the shoulders of Richard Benyon who doesn’t know one end of an Eagle Owl from another and in all probability doesn’t care either and is being fed inaccurate information by people who have never worked with or studied these wonderful birds either. What hope is there for these poor creatures who cannot speak up for themselves?
I have received a phone call from Defra this afternoon asking me where my information came from, it has now been posted on at least three Birding Sites and where there is smoke there is fire. The young man I spoke to says that a decision has not been made but expects Mr. Benyon to make one by the end of the week. I presented all of the facts to this young man as outlined in the article above, how many more times have I got to keep repeating myself to these people who show a complete lack of understanding and compassion, it is just a job to them they don’t get excited or passionate about things like we do.
I urge you all to write to Richard Benyon and give him hell, his address is as follows:- Defra. Nobel House, 17. Smith Square, London. SW1P 3JR.
I though that things would be quiet until next year when the breeding season comes around, if the gamekeepers have left any Eagle Owls alive to breed that is, but once again it just shows that you can’t turn your back for five minutes, I am in despair.
—–Original Message—–
From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf
Of [email protected]
Sent: Monday, September 27, 2010 10:26 AM
To: uk400c[email protected]; [email protected];
[email protected]; [email protected]
Subject: [EuroTwitch] EAGLE OWL cull being administered
It is being reported that Defra (Fera) have approved a request to wipe out
the small population of European Eagle Owls at large in Britain and intend
to pay people to carry out the work. Although suspected, there is NO direct
proof that all of the 90 or so birds ”in the wild” in Britain are from
artificial release and certainly at least 45 of these birds are young birds
born in the wild at long established nest-sites. As a result, I believe
that such actions should be suspended, and I also believe that it is highly
controversial and somewhat counter-productive when several countries on the
Close Continent are still involved in artificial reintroduction of this
species in an attempt to bolster their native populations.
Why don’t Defra ensure that all captive birds are legally registered and
ringed or tethered, or better still outlaw captive bird keeping. After all,
5.4 million pounds has already been wasted controlling North American Ruddy
Ducks, so money certainly doesn’t seem to be a problem.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Richard-Benyon-MP-for-Newbury/142171595797858?ref=mf
Here is the link to the Facebook Page of Richard Benyon the man who will decide whether Eagle Owls will be culled in Britain, feel free to give him a visit and air your views. I have.
‘Yes, You can cull all the eagle owls then we can kill what we like’ said the estates.
RSPB/BirdLife International must pull out all the stops on this one. It must be stressed to Defra that a comprehensive study must be undertaken to PROVE that (a) Eagle Owls are NOT naturally occurring in UK, and (b) they are causing some kind of damage to livestock of endangered members of the British avifauna. Innocent until proven guilty!!!
Sadly a number of organisation having an association with bird conservation and protection here in the UK have steadfastly been sitting on the fence, in the knowledge others will undertake the dirty work leaving their hands free from any blame if a cull is approved.
Sad if this becomes a reality, I have seen them at the nest site and they will be easy targets for the ‘tit shooters’ they ask to cull them and these will be the majority I’m sure.
However they WILL NOT find them all, these birds will not be easy targets as were the Ruddy Ducks as they wont be able to chase them round in speedboats on open reservoirs!
There is one local to me (unringed and no jesses) so I think a product of UK breeding and despite being in area regularly visted by birders it has only ever been reported by myself and I’m sure there must be others now widespread across the UK.
So, because Eagle Owls are invasive and killed a Hen Harrier they must be eradicated.
Hmmm….. Gamekeepers kill Hen Harriers, Peregrines, and everything in between. In my opinion thats about as invasive as you can get, so why are these criminals not culled???
Giving them the responsibility of this cull will be disasterous… They will shoot everything and say they thought it was an Eagle Owl.
Mr Benyon says, “I will take any decision on the basis of good research and with a calm rational understanding of the facts. I suggest everyone takes a similar approach.”
Many congratulations Mr. Benyon, at last we have someone who will not take unsupported information as scientific fact. As long as you follow your own advice, there will be no cull.
I urge you to listen to the people who have been working on the ground with Eagle Owls in Cumbria, Yorkshire and now Lancashire’s Forest of Bowland for many years. Eagles Owls have so far NOT posed any problems and they are certainly Not an invasive species as someone appears to telling you, predating upon mainly rabbit (90%) throughout each of the 3 northern England breeding territories.
I have been a supporter of Hen Harriers all my adult life and know that the alleged killing of a Hen Harrier by Eagle Owls is just NOT true but is now being used maliciously TO GIVE A DOG A BAD NAME. Here in Cumbria at the RSPB Geltsdale Reserve all the Hen Harriers were destroyed by the local gamekeepers five years ago. The last pair of Harriers breeding on the reserve in 2006.
I strongly therefore urge your department to implement an immediate risk assessment into the criminal and invasive actions of shooting estate gamekeepers, who are responsible for the crash of England’s Hen Harrier population throughout our uplands.
I am appauled the Eagle Owl is being blamed for something it has not done. If just one Hen Harrier is killed by an Eagle Owl, I agree with Dan so what, gamekeepers have destroyed many hundreds and nothing is being done by the government to address this issue what so ever, can you as the government Minister for the Environment Mr Benson tell me why?
I think it is time to thank the man who gave us this information in the first place. If it was not for you none of this campaign would have been able to get off the ground. You know who you are and we owe you thanks.
“or better still outlaw captive bird keeping” .
On what grounds may i ask ?
The return of the Northern Goshawk (Accipiter Gentilis) is largely down to Falconers and captive bred stock , perhaps some should look to the past before making such a sweeping generalisation .
This is outrageous. These birds have as much right to be here as people!
In the above article it says that they are a non-invasive species, so on what grounds is this cull going ahead?
(Posted by admin on behalf of Mark Duchamp)
Obviously, the culling is not being considered because of the killing of a hen harrier by an eagle owl, unproven at that. The issue is more likely on the table because some lobbying took place. The shooting estates come to mind, or more generally the hunters, to have more rabbits for themselves.
What next? A golden eagle cull? All you’d need to do is “prove” they were not native, but flew in from the continent “only” a few hundred years ago. This is, obviously, ridiculous, but so is the culling of eagle owls because they feed on their natural prey. How about killing dolphins because they eat fish we could use?
What is the position of the RSPB on the issue? Sitting on the fence?
Mark Duchamp
President, Save the Eagles International
Hello Mark, many thanks for taking the trouble to send in your valuable comment, Raptor Politics wishes more people from across the world would do so.
The RSPB have as you are able to read, now come off the fence and clearly stated that they DO NOT support an eagle owl cull. The next organisations we would hope would follow the same lead is the BTO and the BOU, lets just see if they have the courage to poke their heads above the roof and make their policies clear.
I would just like to say a big Thank You to Dr.Mark Avery for coming off the fence – Im sure we can, by being passionate & amp; not complacent, save these birds..
I cannot believe these rumours are true. Any rational assessment of the situation would come to the conclusion that a cull is not appropriate. If DEFRA do this, they will lose all credibility. Surely they understand the implications if they make such an obviously ridiculous decision?
Even IF an Eagle Owl has killed a single Hen Harrier, so what? If Hen Harriers were not persecuted, the occasional killing of a harrier by an Eagle Owl would have no impact on a healthy HH breeding population.
However, although some shooting estates are responsibly managed,elsewhere there has been a devastating impact on HH’s caused by some people with guns, poison, traps and boots to destroy nests.
The argument whether or not the Eagle Owl is non-native seems irrelevant. This species can with ease, fly in from mainland Europe, in some cases to become a resident and expand its breeding range – a natural process.
John Holland is right, the predation of one Hen Harrier by an Eagle Owl is of no significance, especially as there doesn’t appear to be any real proof that this event ever happened at all.
It is obvious to any conservationist or Ornithologist with an ounce of wit that the Eagle owls pose no threat to the Hen Harriers, it is only the persistent bloody mindedness of DEFRA and Natural England who are determined for whatever ulterior motive they may have, to persecute the Eagle Owls to extinction in the UK that this sorry state of affairs ever got this far.
It is now time for English Nature to do what they should have done in the first place, and that’s to give the Eagle Owls full protected status in the UK, having said that, they already have full protected status throughout Europe. What should have happened is they should have been put on Schedule 1 as soon as the first breeding was proved.
It’s a pity that English Nature won’t put the same amount of effort into bringing the real Raptor persecutors to justice, or maybe that’s the real problem, they’re too tied up with the estate/land owners to do anything about it.
nirofo.
I understand that many licensed raptor workers with decades of first hand practical experience in the field with raptors are having more problems with Natural England than they do with gamekeepers. I wonder way?
Skydancer is spot on, but there’s no need to wonder why, it’s obvious! Natural England will not do anything that upsets the landowners, probably because many of them are in control of Natural England and are jerking their strings. Why else would a public employed body like Natural England make no attempt at controlling the Raptor persecutors who are decimating our birds of prey, whilst at the same time pushing for a cull of the Eagle Owls on trumped up charges of killing one Hen Harrier ???
nirofo.
Browsing this site to see how the Eagle Owls have been getting on recently,I’m absolutely staggered to read all this talk about killing them off!Who is responsible for even thinking this psychotic madness?As a boy I followed with great excitement the unfolding saga of the return of the Osprey and how their nests were put under 24 hour guard to protect them against egg collectors.If these people are so sick that they are prepared to kill these magnificent birds that have returned to England naturally then the Owls deserve to be guarded 24/7.
To complete about what was said on this page, I think the most important would be to know about birds DNA. In order to be ensured that these birds don’t have captive origin or could come from any private re-introduction with birds from spain ou Finland.