An investigation has been launched into the shooting of one of the rarest birds of prey in Co Kerry.

The hen harrier is a protected species under the Wildlife Act and it is an offence to kill them.

The bird that was shot dead had been satellite-tagged as part of a tracking project.

Her movements were followed online by thousands of people over the last three years.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) is liaising with gardaí to try and find the culprit.

Dr Barry O'Donoghue of the NPWS, who oversaw the satellite tracking project, said: "The tracking system showed that the bird visited Meath, Louth, Monaghan and Armagh and rested by the shores of Lough Neagh, before making a long distance journey all the way to the Atlantic cliffs of south county Cork."

"The bird stayed there for most of her first winter with a number of other harriers. From these older birds, she would have learned of good hunting places and safe places to spend each night. In late 2014 she returned to south Kerry, back to the very site where she was born. It seems likely that she might have returned to breed there this summer, but unfortunately her life has been cut short."

"The deliberate killing of a protected species, such as the hen harrier, is a serious offence under the Wildlife Act. The NPWS has launched an investigation into the unlawful killing of the bird, and local gardaí have been informed," he added.

Dr O'Donoghue said Heather had thousands of internet fans following her travels on satellite tracking:

Originally posted at 12.46