A RARE bird was deliberately poisoned and then dumped to look like a road kill.
The red kite had ingested a large quantity of agricultural pesticide and had its identity rings removed.
It was found alongside the A75 by a wildlife ranger who contacted officials from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds at Crossmichael to report what he assumed to be a road kill.
However, postmortem analysis revealed the bird had been poisoned by a heavy dose of agricultural pesticide.
Chris Rollie, RSPB area manager for Dumfries and Galloway, said: “We suspect that the bird has just been dumped on the road to make it look like a natural road casualty when in fact it has been poisoned.
“We are absolutely disgusted by that – we haven’t had a poisoned kite in two years.
“It is very worrying that there are still people out there who are acting illegally in this way to control what they call vermin.”
Mr Rollie told the News that the quantity of pesticide ingested would not be found in such high dosage if used for the purpose designed.
He added: “For it to be found in the concentrations it was in the bird, it has been put onto bait undiluted.
“When used properly the chemical would be diluted and spread over crops. There is no way birds could pick up enough of the chemical without it being used illegally.”
Mr Rollie expressed concern at the possibility that some gamekeepers were still using such tactics when kites offer no threat to game birds.
However, he described such use of pesticides as “a dying practice”.
He said: “We work very closely with lots of gamekeepers to preserve the kites and they are absolutely great.
“We really couldn’t do the work we do without their fantastic support, but clearly there is still someone out there using these chemicals like this, which is abhorrent.”
The Stewartry is famous for the Galloway Kite Trail, with 40 breading pairs which fledged 58 chicks last year, taking the total number of the rare birds in the area to just under 200.
The RSPB keeps track of the kites with a tagging system and the dead bird, which was found near the Glen on the A75, on January 8, had puncture marks where its rings had been forcibly removed.
Mr Rollie said: “Kites are very distinctive in the area and are attracting business and money into the local economy.
“Kids in schools love them and they are something we should all be proud of. They are of no threat to anyone or to game.
“All we’re asking is for these people to stop using such chemicals for poisoning as it jeopardises everything.”
Castle Douglas-based Constable Jim Drysdale is investigating the incident.
He warned that anyone found guilty of poisoning a rare bird could face a hefty fine or even imprisonment.
