Four rare stone curlew eggs stolen from Suffolk nature reserve
Four rare stone curlew eggs have been stolen from a nature reserve near Bury St Edmunds.
The eggs were taken from a nesting site at Cavenham Heath between May 4 and May 9.
Stone curlews were on the verge of extinction in the UK 30 years ago, but have seen their numbers slowly start to recover due to the success of breeding programmes.
However, they still remain a rare summer visitor to East Anglia and are protected by law.
"The stone curlew is a very rare bird with fewer than 400 pairs in the country and we are shocked and saddened by the theft of these eggs," Natural England senior reserve manager Chris Hainsworth said.
"Only 30 years ago, we nearly lost them from the English countryside altogether and it is only by the hard work of local farmers and landowners - supported by Natural England and RSPB - that we have managed to start to see the population slowly rise."
What are stone curlews?
The stone curlew is a crow-sized bird with a large head, long yellow legs and relatively long wings and tail.
The bird is normally active at night and its large yellow eyes enable it to find food when it's dark.
There's currently around 400 breeding pairs in the UK.
Sgt Brian Calver, of Suffolk Police, insisted the force are treating the theft very seriously.
"Egg collecting is nowhere near as common as it used to be but sadly still goes on. It’s not a victimless crime, as rare populations can be adversely affected by the actions of these individuals," he said.
"The nesting sites are naturally quite remote so we would urge those out and about on such reserves to be vigilant for suspicious activity and report any sightings to police, with detailed descriptions of persons and vehicles.
"If anybody sees somebody stealing eggs they should call 999 as this is a crime in progress."