Blog by James Walker, Manx BirdLife Media and Communications volunteer
A hen harrier chick on the Isle of Man is to be fitted with a satellite tag to provide vital information about this threatened species.
Manx Birdlife has co-ordinated the tagging as part of the LIFE+ Hen Harrier project and the £5,000 sponsorship needed came from a local charity, the Society for the Preservation of the Manx Countryside (SPMC). Part of their generous donation was in memory of ex-president Sidney Cowin, who was a keen birdwatcher.
The SPMC will have the chance to name the hen harrier and a team from the RSPB will be coming to the island later this month to fit the satellite tag, with support from a local bird ringer. The tag will provide Manx BirdLife with an insight into juvenile dispersal and the overnight sites used during the winter by these magnificent birds.
Female hen harrier - photo courtesy of Brian Liggins
The hen harrier population on the Isle of Man has dropped by 49 per cent - from 57 to 29 territorial pairs - between 2004 and 2010. This is by far the largest regional decline observed in the national hen harrier survey and is particularly worrying as the Isle of Man has historically been recognised as one of the species' strongholds in the British Isles. As no persecution has ever been recorded, further research is needed to investigate the causes of this dramatic decline.
The Hen Harrier Life+ is an EU supported project aiming to improve the conservation status of Hen Harriers in the UK. This will be done over the next five years through conservation actions and awareness raising.
If you would like to sponsor tagging for next year please contact Manx BirdLife Chief Operating Officer, Dora Querido, on enquires@manxbirdlife.im