Police are appealing for witnesses after a protected species of bird was shot close to the village of Salperton in the Cotswolds.

A Red Kite, one of only 4,600 breeding pairs in the UK, was shot on March 12.

The bird became extinct in England in 1871 and in Scotland in 1879 after relentless hunting – the entire remaining Welsh population was derived from a single female bird.

They were reintroduced in England by a programme run by the RSPB, Natural England and Scottish Natural Heritage which has seen their numbers rise by 1026 per cent between 1995 and 2014.

RSPB Spokesperson Jenny Shelton said: “To know that they are still being illegally killed is a blow to anyone who enjoys and values the natural world. All birds of prey are protected by law and if anyone has any information that might help with this police investigation, I urge you to come forward.

“Red kites are a joy to encounter on a country walk, or even soaring over our homes on long, red wings, with their distinctive forked tail used as a rudder to ride the wind.

“We can’t take these birds for granted: only 40 years ago they were a rare sight having been driven almost to extinction in the UK the 19th century.”

“Sadly the illegal shooting, trapping and poisoning of protected birds of prey is a deep-rooted and relentless issue here in the UK – if you notice a dead or injured bird of prey which you believe may have been shot or illegally targeted, please call the police on 101 and email the RSPB at crime@rspb.org.uk.”

For more pictures of red kites in the Cotswolds click here