Police appeal after red kite poisoned in Aberdeenshire

Police Scotland has appealed for information after a red kite found on Morven Hill, near Dinnet in Aberdeenshire, was confirmed to have been poisoned. The bird was discovered by a member of the public on 30 June, and enquiries have now established that the protected raptor was killed by poison.

What do the police say?

PC Ann Ashman, wildlife crime liaison officer, said: “Poisoning a bird or animal is not only cruel and callous, but it can harm other wildlife as well as members of the public. The use of poison in a public area is extremely dangerous and poses a significant risk to anyone who comes into contact with it.”

“Our enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances. We would urge the public not to handle any dead animals they may find,” she said, appealing to anyone with information about the poisoning to contact the force.

A protected species

Red kites are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, making it illegal to kill, injure or take them, or to damage their nests, eggs or young. Raptor persecution is one of the UK’s national wildlife crime priorities, and shooting and land management organisations have repeatedly condemned it. None had commented on the Morven Hill case at the time of writing.

Laying poison in the open is indiscriminate as well as illegal: baits can kill working dogs, livestock and other wildlife, and put anyone who touches them at risk.

What happens next?

Enquiries are continuing. Anyone with information should contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting reference 2910 of 30 June 2026, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.