Hawk Board Letter sent to BBC Springwatch

Reference BBC Springwatch Episode 9
Content of Report on Peregrine Falcons

The Hawk Board, the representative body for Falconry and Raptor keeping in the UK, is disappointed with some of the content and tenor of the report on peregrine falcons in Central Scotland (Springwatch 2025 Episode 9).

Whist we applaud the prosecution of the criminals involved in illegally taking peregrine eggs and chicks from nest sites in the UK, and support the creation of the DNA database to help ensure persecution of these falcons becomes increasingly difficult, but some of the report was both inaccurate and misleading.

It was stated that keeping peregrines as captive birds was ‘increasingly desirable’. Falconers have long kept peregrines and the vast majority of these are captive or domestically bred. The have legal documentation, closed ring, micro-chip, or DNA provenance. The only wild bred specimens are those that fall into the ‘Wild Disabled’ category that cannot be released back to the wild. There is little evidence that keeping peregrines is increasingly desirable, and legitimate UK falconers have adequate legal domestic breeding programmes to provide for their needs.

As for the statement ‘peregrine eggs and chicks are frequently being stolen’, without qualification this is meaningless and poor journalism. It is true that in the area that the criminals Timothy and Lewis Hall, operated it can be considered their frequent activity, but it is far from widespread.

The peregrine is one of the outstanding conservation success stories of the last fifty years. In the UK wild peregrine numbers are at historic highs and a fairly common sight in our towns and cities as well as in the wider countryside.

One of our real regrets with the Hall case, is that whilst the peregrine thieves have been rightly prosecuted, those that facilitated the laundering and export of the stolen falcons, escaped any action. By allowing the professionally organised and well connected criminality to go un-punished, shows a lack of ambition by our law enforcers. The easy bit is prosecuting an ignorant wildlife criminal who took young peregrines whilst dangling at the end of a rope, far more effective would be to bring to justice those who then purchased the falcons, fraudulently obtained documentation, and then exported them.

In short, theft of peregrines from the wild is not a ‘huge problem facing the UK’, it is a persistent but limited act of criminality. Peregrines do not fetch the ludicrously inflated prices cited in Springwatch (£250,000) either in the UK or indeed the Middle East. In the Middle East only exception falcons, usually gyr falcons, and occasionally captive breed hybrids with specific lineage bred over several generations fetch such inflated prices. Peregrines have a far more limited market. Repeating this nonsense will only encourage those who might be so tempted to break our laws.

British falconers and indeed serious conservationists, demand better informed reporting from our national broadcaster. The BBC can and should do far better.