A RARE bird of prey has been found with gun shot wounds.

The red kite, a large, adult female, was found on farmland at Low Marishes, north of Malton. It had been shot with a shotgun, but was still alive.

Jean Thorpe, a local conservationist who rescues and rehabilitates injured wildlife, said: "The bird was gathered up by the tenant farmer on Good Friday evening and I called straight away to collect it. She had slight wounds to both wings and a small amount of blood in her mouth."

Ms Thorpe took the bird to be x-rayed the next day and it was found to have been shot with a shotgun, with a shotgun pellet "clearly visible" near the bird's throat.

Red kites are protected by law under schedule one of the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Under this act it is "an offence to take, injure or kill a red kite or to take, damage or destroy its nest, eggs or young".

Red kites have come back from near extinction in the UK in the last 50 years, from a population of about 20 pairs in Wales. They were extinct in England and Scotland. There are now estimated to be about 1,800 breeding pairs in Britain, which is about seven per cent of the world population.

Ms Thorpe is now looking after the bird.

"She is faring well and hopefully will be able to be released soon," she said. "Someone who has a legally-owned firearm has illegally shot this protected raptor.

"So come on the good people of Low Marishes, Old Malton and Pickering - she won't have gone far from where she was shot."

Anyone with information is asked to phone Ms Thorpe on 01653 695124 or North Yorkshire Police on 101.