Five red kites, a raven and a buzzard have been discovered dead in a village in Oxfordshire.
The birds were discovered by a family on Sunday 17 September near the village of Pyrton, on the edge of the Chilterns who reported them to the RSPB.
All the birds were recovered and x-rayed by a local vet. The x-rays revealed no signs of shot. However, the birds have now been sent off for toxicology testing by Natural England as part of the Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme (WIIS).
All birds of prey and ravens are protected by UK law, making it illegal to kill or harm them. Those found to have done so could face six months in jail or an unlimited fine.
Thames Valley Police, Natural England and RSPB are working together on a joint investigation and are appealing to be public at this stage. If you have any information relating to this incident, call Thames Valley Police on 101.
With their six-foot wingspan, red kites are Britain’s third-largest bird of prey and feed mainly on carrion.
If you find a wild bird which you suspect has been illegally killed, contact RSPB Investigations on 01767 680551, email [email protected]
