A hen harrier born in the Isle of Man in the summer of 2019, has been found dead beside baits laced with poison in the Republic of Ireland.

Mary was part of the satellite-tagging project led by RSPB’s Hen Harrier LIFE+ Project team which is coordinated in the island by Manx Birdlife and the Manx Ringing Group (MRG).

Tags attached to the birds enable their whereabouts to be tracked, providing insights to the behaviour and population dynamics of the persecuted birds of prey.

After fledging last year, Mary spent a few weeks exploring the island, flying to and from the Calf of Man where she was pictured by warden Aron Sapsford, at the end of August.

By the end of October, satellite data revealed she had flown from the Isle of Man across the Irish Sea to Eire.

Sadly, soon afterwards on November 2, Mary’s satellite tag indicated that she had died.

Staff from the RSPB and Ireland’s National Parks and Wildlife Service found her on land managed for a pheasant shoot. Mary was lying beside a pigeon carcass with other chunks of meat nearby. Tests found carbofuran on the pigeon, the chunks of meat and in Mary’s crop and liver, indicating that Mary had been illegally poisoned.

Neil Morris, managing director of Manx Birdlife said: ’Despite a great deal of effort by many dedicated individuals and agencies, including the MRG and RSPB, little is known about the movements of Manx hen harriers.

’We know our young hen harriers have a tendency to wander, in common with other bird of prey species, but none has yet survived long enough away from the Isle of Man to either mature and settle to nest, or to return to their natal home on the island.

’We applaud efforts by all those involved to understand the circumstances of Mary’s premature demise and to demand a full and transparent investigation.’