Hen Harrier and Red Listed Bird Recovery Project
Improving the natural habitat for this bird of prey and other rare ground nesting birds, we have seen record numbers return.
It is recognised that our moorland hosts a “nationally important assemblage” of moorland breeding birds including hen harrier, merlin, golden plover, snipe, curlew, redshank, teal, short-eared owl and peregrine. The Bird Hide at Druid’s Plantation, near Swinton Bivouac, is well positioned for sightings of all our moorland ground nesting birds.
The Estate has an active program of habitat management and predator control on the moorland and wetland areas, to protect several rare red listed species that have been lost to many parts of the UK. A large number of endangered birds from ground nesting waders to rare birds of prey flourish in this environment. Breeding bird surveys are conducted annually and from this data Swinton received the Redlist revival award for hen harriers (top 1% nationally) and curlew (top 10% nationally).
