A 'rare' male hen harrier has been spotted flying over North Yorkshire Moors National Park.
In pictures taken by Northern Echo Camera Club member Paul Gale, the bird of prey can be seen swooping through the air, its blue-grey wings spread wide in front of the heathered backdrop of the moors.
Hen harriers are the UK's most persecuted bird of prey, and their population is now mainly centred around the highlands.
Earlier this year, nature enthusiasts were stunned by incredible pictures of a rare hen harrier pair, pictured in Northumberland. Breeding pairs are now rare in the UK.
"In recent times, its effect on the number of grouse available to shoot has led to conflict and a threat to its survival in some parts of the UK," a spokesperson for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds said.
"It's most at risk on the driven grouse moors of England and Scotland."
As a result of the 'intense persecution' the birds suffer, they are now quite rare and only a handful of pairs still nest in England, according to the RSPB.
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They also breed in areas of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. In winter, Hen Harriers leave the uplands and you might see them in lowland and coastal habitats around the UK.
The British Trust for Ornithology describe the species as "beautiful" with ghostly grey males and the brown, white-rumped females.
Key features to look out for:
- Slim, medium-sized bird of prey
- Males are blue-grey above, with a paler underside and black tips to their wings
- Females are mainly brown, with a streaked body and wings, and bars on their tail
- Both males and females have a noticeable white rump
- Rounded, owl-like face shape
- Yellow beak with a black tip
- Yellow legs and feet
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