TWO families of Hen Harrier chicks have taken flight after being bred on grouse moors in the region.
Eight chicks hatched and fledged on grouse moors at two locations in North Yorkshire.
Three had been raised in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, while five were successfully bred on a grouse moor estate in the Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Some of the chicks were also satellite-tagged by Natural England, so that researchers could monitor their progress in-flight.
Sonya Greenwood, from the Yorkshire Dales Moorland Group, called the fledging "tremendous news" as breeding Hen Harriers in the Yorkshire Dales National Park continued for its second year.
She said: "It’s tremendous news that the Yorkshire Dales National Park is seeing breeding success for the second year in a row and this is testament to the commitment by gamekeepers to play their part in restoring Hen Harrier numbers.”
Rob Cooke, director of Natural England, said: “Natural England is very pleased to see these Hen Harriers, which our volunteers have been monitoring alongside estate staff, fledge.
"We are pleased to see moorland estates playing their full part in the Hen Harrier Action Plan.”
- Members of the public are asked to keep their distance as the birds are easy to disturb
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