A trial of hen harrier brood management was set out as an action in the Joint Action Plan to Increase the English Hen Harrier Population.
Brood management involves taking broods of hen harriers from grouse moors, rearing them in captivity, and later releasing them back into the wild. This method was predicted to increase the confidence of grouse moor managers that impacts of nesting hen harriers on grouse can be legally managed, and so reduce illegal killing or disturbance of hen harriers on grouse moors.
Brood management was trialled between 2018 and 2024 by a partnership group consisting of the Moorland Association, the International Centre for Birds of Prey, the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, the Hawk and Owl Trust and Natural England.
Natural England was the partner responsible for evaluation of the trial. Four reports were produced: a report on hen harrier population modelling (published by the British Trust for Ornithology), two social science reports, and an overall evaluation report (links below).