A Yorkshire Dales charity has launched a campaign to highlight the illegal killing of birds of prey in the national park.

Friends of the Dales’ Eyes on the Skies campaign has gone live just days after the case of a missing hen harrier, which was last tracked on moorland between Wensleydale and Swaledale, was revealed.

The campaign starts with a live webinar on Tuesday, October 21 at 5.30pm, featuring conservation expert Kate Jennings, UK head of site conservation and species policy at the RSPB.

“We are delighted that Kate is joining us at the Eyes on the Skies launch event,” said Jonathan Riley, chair of trustees at Friends of the Dales.

“She will shine a spotlight on bird crime in the Yorkshire Dales and the illegal and inhumane methods criminals use to trap, shoot and poison birds of prey − crimes that persist despite more than seventy years of legal protection.”

Mr Riley said the campaign would highlight the scale and nature of the crimes, educate people on how to spot and report any suspicious or illegal activity, and inspire people to learn more about the birds themselves and why they are important to a healthy, biodiverse ecosystem.

The campaign has the support of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA), which in its new management plan pledges to support work to end the illegal killing and disturbance of birds of prey and other wildlife by 2028.

David Butterworth, YDNPA chief executive, said: “The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority is unwavering in its commitment to raptor conservation. We will continue to collaborate with landowners, managers and organisations sharing our vision. We applaud those whose efforts have helped some species recover. But we must also confront the grim reality that criminal persecution still occurs. The uplands of the Yorkshire Dales National Park should be a stronghold for a diverse range of raptor species. As apex predators, their presence signals a healthy environment. Their absence, conversely, is a warning.”

The case of female bird Sita, who went missing while wintering on moorland between Reeth and Redmire, was revealed last week. Sita’s satellite tag stopped transmitting on February 27 this year while the bird was at a roost site. The bird had been fitted with the tag last summer after fledging from her nest in the Forest of Bowland.

RSPB figures show that between 2015 and 2024, 67 confirmed or suspected raptor persecution incidents were recorded in or near the Yorkshire Dales National Park – including 39 cases of birds of prey being poisoned, trapped or shot.

The charity said 29 tagged hen harriers, including Sita, had also vanished in suspicious circumstances over the same period.

For more information on the campaign, visit www.friendsofthedales.org.uk