The iconic hen harrier is on the brink of extinction in the British Isles
The RSPB has flagged up concerns about the decline of hen harriers (Circus cyaneus) in Northern Ireland, with just 46 breeding pairs left in the region, a fall of 22 per cent since 2010 when there were 59. According to BirdWatch Ireland in 2015 there were an estimated 108-157 breeding pairs in the Republic, a decline of 8.7 per cent since a 2010 survey which recorded 128-172 pairs.