Tests show red kite was poisoned

Red kites attract thousands of visitors to Dumfries and Galloway

A red kite found dead in Dumfries and Galloway was illegally poisoned, according to toxicology tests.

The bird was found in December by an officer for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Scotland (RSPB) and local police.

Tests carried out by the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency in Edinburgh have confirmed it was killed after ingesting a lethal pesticide.

A spokesman for RSPB Scotland said it was sickened and saddened by the news.

The bird, which was tracked to Laurieston - just north of Castle Douglas, right in the heart of the popular Galloway Kite Trail - is the first red kite to be poisoned in Dumfries and Galloway for four years.

'Sickening and sad'

Just weeks ago the RSPB reported that last year was the worst for red kite poisoning Scotland-wide since 2001.

Shooting estates have been largely blamed for many of the birds' deaths.

Chris Rollie, RSPB Scotland area manager said: "It is sickening and very sad to find that someone in the heart of the Galloway Kite Trail has been illegally using this lethal chemical in this way.

"It undermines the efforts of responsible landowners and gamekeepers in the area, many of whom are very helpful to and supportive of the kites."

He added that the kite - which posed no threat to game or farming - was almost certainly not the intended victim of the crime.

However, poison left illegally for other species also posed a threat for all sorts of birds of prey and wildlife, as well as domestic cats and dogs, he said.

Last year the Galloway Kite Trail attracted about 6,500 visitors, who are believed to have generated an estimated £800,000 for the local economy.