THE most endangered bird of prey in England has been seen across the moors in the north of the country in the last two weeks, wildlife campaigners have revealed.

English Nature said 35 hen harriers had been sighted and hopes were high that they would breed and successfully raise chicks.

The bird was once fairly common throughout Britain but numbers declined steeply until after the Second World War when the hen harrier started to make a comeback, probably due to fewer gamekeepers.

Northern England was re-colonised from the mid-1960s through to the 1980s when up to 25 nesting attempts were made each year in Cumbria, Derbyshire, County Durham, Lancashire, Northumberland and Yorkshire.

But English Nature said this week it had become increasingly concerned about the status of the hen harrier in England.

Following a prolonged decline, the English population now consists of a handful of breeding pairs. There is real danger that the species will become extinct as a breeding bird within the next few years.

Sir Martin Doughty, chairman of English Nature, said: "This is very encouraging news as we launch our hen harrier project. We hope these birds will be able to successfully breed and produce chicks in safety."

English Nature wants to hear from anyone who sees the birds in England this spring and summer. Please phone Richard Saunders, hen harrier project officer, 01539 792800.