Hen Harrier Day 2015

Hen Harrier Day 2015 will unite thousands of protesters against raptor persecution, three days before the start of the grouse shooting season.

Thousands of people will be protesting about the illegal killing of England's rarest breeding raptor on 9 August, on the second national Hen Harrier Day.

Last year, the first Hen Harrier Day event attracted 570 people, who braved torrential storms at a rally in Derbyshire, while millions of people were alerted by social media about the cause. These beautiful birds of prey were once numerous in the UK, but are now on the edge of extinction in England and declining in other parts of Britain.

Chris Packham addresses the crowd at last year's Hen Harrier Day rally in Derbyshire (Photo: Nick Wilcox-Brown).

Leading environmentalist and Birdwatch columnist Dr Mark Avery said: "This event will send a strong message to the criminal elements in the grouse shooting industry: clean up your act, stick to the law, we want our wildlife back. There is nothing 'glorious' about the start of the grouse shooting season on 12 August: it should be called the 'Inglorious 12th'."

TV naturalist Chris Packham said: "A year after our exciting Hen Harrier Day 2014, which drew a huge amount of attention to these rare and beautiful raptors, we need to work harder than ever to make progress, because very sadly this spring five male English Hen Harriers mysteriously disappeared from their breeding grounds. I'm sick and tired of tolerating criminal persecution. I want to see our landscape enriched with the richest variety of life that it can support, and on our moorlands this means Hen Harriers."

Charlie Moores of Birders Against Wildlife Crime, organisers of this year's Hen Harrier Day rally and others across the UK, commented: "Regardless of the weather, there's every indication that the UK's most persecuted bird of prey can expect even stronger support this year, at these rallies as well as online."

The protest rally will take place at Goytsclough Quarry, The Goyt Valley, Derbyshire, and will feature speakers including Chris Packham, Jeff Knott of the RSPB, Dr Mark Avery and representatives of the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust.

Please use the hashtag #HenHarrierDay on Twitter.

For a full programme of events on Hen Harrier Day 2015, see the Birdwatch website.