Two white tailed eagles found dead in Co Antrim were poisoned, according to the post mortem results.
Police are investigating the 'shocking' deaths among the priority species near Ballymena on May, 15.
The species was once a resident breeder here but was persecuted to extinction in the 1900s.
Read more: PSNI probing death of white-tailed eagle deaths
Some 100 young white-tailed eagles were reintroduced at Killarney National Park as part of an Irish Government programme to return the species to the island from 2007-2011. They subsequently dispersed throughout the island.
A second phase was then announced from 2020-2022 but the some of the species have fallen victim to bird flu, illegal poisoning and extreme weather.
Police investigating the circumstances around the discovery of two dead white-tailed eagles in the Glenhead Road area of Ballymena have confirmed the birds were subsequently poisoned.
Following a post-mortem examination, both birds tested positive for the insecticide bendiocarb.
One had been released on the lower River Shannon by Ireland’s National Parks and Wildlife Service after being brought from Norway in 2022 and the other from either Ireland or Scotland.
How the birds came into contact with the insecticide remains part of an ongoing investigation, and the Police Service of Northern Ireland says it is committed to working with partners and members of the public to determine how the birds consumed the toxic insecticide.
Rural and Wildlife Crime Superintendent Johnston McDowell said: “Sadly, police can confirm the two majestic birds found on land in the Glenhead Road area were poisoned, following a post-mortem examination.
"The test results suggest that an individual not only has access to the insecticide bendiocarb but has placed this into the outside environment illegally, so that wild birds have been able to consume it.
“Bendiocarb is present in the trade product Ficam D, a powder which is only permitted for indoor use to control crawling insects such as wasps and ants, so using this active ingredient in fields would be a breach of Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR).
“The illegal killing of these beautiful birds in a popular rural area is disgraceful, and for any individual to think that they can ignore the law and lay poisonous bait which has led to the killing of these birds, is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
“Officers with support from the National Wildlife Crime Unit, have been on the ground conducting house-to-house enquiries, engaging with local residents and landowners, in the areas of where the birds were gravitating towards, before they were found deceased.
“The Police Service of Northern Ireland will continue to work with our partners to tackle this criminal activity, investigate any reports made to us and prosecute offenders. In this case we have liaised with our partners in the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAWNI) Agri-Food and Biosciences, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds , NI Raptor Study Group, Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Environment Agency and received additional support from the National Wildlife Crime Unit. Police have a strong multi-agency support group which we are very grateful for, but we need the help of the public too.
“There must be people in the community who are aware of individuals committing these offences, and who can come forward and assist police with any information they have.
“If you notice any suspicious activity in rural areas, notice a dead or injured bird of prey, please call police on 101, or you can make a report via Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org. Alternatively, you can submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/.
“We are also very grateful to our partners in the charity Royal Society for Protection of Birds (RSPB) who are offering a reward of £5000 for information leading to the prosecution of those involved in the poisoning of the two white-tailed eagles. The charity is completely independent from the police and can be contacted on their confidential Raptor Crime Hotline on 0300 999 0101 or online at crime@rspb.org.uk.”
RSPB NI said it was deeply shocked and concerned to hear about the deaths of two White-Tailed Eagles.
They are offering a £5,000 reward for any information that leads to a conviction.
Joanne Sherwood, Director RSPB NI said: “The illegal poisoning of these two magnificent White-tailed Eagles is absolutely devastating news. That's why the RSPB are offering a £5,000 reward for information that leads to a conviction of those who are responsible for this awful crime."
The tagged bird was only a year old and was released in the Lower Shannon Estuary in August 2022 by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) as part of an on-going re-introduction programme, having been collected as a chick from Norway earlier in 2022. The second bird was an unmarked immature bird of unknown origin, potentially from Scotland or Ireland.
RSPB NI Investigations Officer, Dean Jones, said: “It is devastating to hear that these magnificent birds of prey fell victim to illegal poisoning. Poison left out in the open like this is utterly indiscriminate and poses a huge risk not only to wildlife but to people and pets. It is not only illegal, but extremely irresponsible and dangerous. We implore that anyone who knows any information on who is responsible for the death of these birds to get in touch with the PSNI”.
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.
