Natural England

A magnificent Marsh Harrier has cheated certain death and has once again taken to the skies of North Yorkshire.

The male bird of prey was found walking around the ground in a field near Wetwang, East Yorkshire, suffering from a broken wing. It’s not certain what caused it, but the bird may have collided with some overhead wires. For most birds a broken wing results in almost certain death, as it leaves them vulnerable to attack from other predators.

However, this lucky bird was found by a caring landowner, and handed to Jean Thorpe of Ryedale Rehabilitation. Jean, with the help of the Battleflats veterinary team, has produced a near miracle in nursing the stricken bird back to full flying fitness.

The bird was released in Natural England’s Lower Derwent Valley National Nature Reserve (NNR) on the outskirts of York. The reserve has a network of internationally protected hay meadows, ponds and ditches which provide ideal hunting ground for Marsh Harriers. They feed on a wide variety of prey from earthworms and beetles to frogs, small birds and small mammals.

Craig Ralston, Natural England’s Reserve manager for the Lower Derwent Valley NNR said ‘Although rehabilitation centers usually try to return all wildlife to the place where they were found, we wanted to release it in the best feeding habitat we could find. With it being a young male we knew it wasn’t breeding and was probably just passing through the area when it broke its wing. It’s now up to Natural England staff and volunteers to monitor its welfare for the first critical days after release’.

Jean Thorpe of Ryedale Rehabilitation said ‘It’s very rare to see a bird recover from a broken wing, especially where this fracture occurred. I spent a long time nursing it back to full health and seeing it fly off into the distance brought tears to my eyes. Although this is just one Marsh harrier, it can at least have the chance to breed and raise young.

Notes for Editors

1. For photographs and further information, contact Howard Botting on 01609 767439 or 077860 28824 howard.botting@naturalengland.org.uk or Emma MacDonald on 0113 2303533 or 07900 608073 emma.macdonald@naturalengland.org.uk

   We have a selection of photos that can be sent out to accompany the story. They show the Marsh Harrier with its handler and an x-ray of the broken bones.

2. National Nature Reserves (NNRs) are some of the very finest sites in England for wildlife and geology, and provide great opportunities for people to experience nature. They have been established to protect and manage the special wildlife habitats, species and geological features that occur there. These features are of national and often international importance, and many NNRs are important for study and research. Almost all NNRs have some form of access provision – many are fully open throughout the year. There are 222 throughout England.



3. Natural England works for people, places and nature to conserve and enhance biodiversity, landscapes and wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas. We conserve and enhance the natural environment for its intrinsic value, the wellbeing and enjoyment of people, and the economic prosperity it brings.