THE number of birds of prey being poisoned in Scotland has risen by more than a third over the past year, new figures have revealed.

Golden eagles and buzzards were among 27 birds killed in 22 recorded poisoning incidents in 2009, according to new figures from the Scottish Government.

New maps showing hotspots for raptor persecution show many of the deaths are centred around the parts of Scotland popular for shooting estates. The death toll marks a return to levels of 2007 after a drop in 2008 to 16 poisoned birds of prey.

Roseanna Cunningham, environment minister, said: "These figures are a wake-up call to those who thought bird poisonings were on the wane."

The dead birds included 19 buzzards, four red kites, two golden eagles, one tawny owl and one sea eagle. Tayside Police recorded the highest number of incidents, with nine confirmed poisonings.

The maps showed the distribution of poisonings across Scotland with cumulative totals over five years. The highest concentrations since 2005 were in central southern Scotland, the south east and parts of the eastern Highlands.

Carbofuran, an illegal pesticide, was used in the majority of cases, which experts warn poses a threat not only to birds of prey, but also to pets and even humans.

Ms Cunningham said: "This continued persecution of our precious wildlife is simply incomprehensible. Poisoning is an arbitrary method of killing which poses serious risks to other animals, and potentially people, in our countryside."

Duncan Orr-Ewing, head of species and land management for RSPB Scotland, said he blamed the "selfish actions of a minority" for damaging the "standing of the shooting industry", adding: "The number of illegal poisoning incidents discovered in 2009 is one of the highest on record. Experience tells us that this represents just a fraction of the true scale of this illegal activity, which persists with shocking regularity in some areas of Scotland."

He added that there was now ample evidence that poisonings were having a "significant" impact on the populations of some of Scotland's most iconic species, including the golden eagle.

Lord Hopetoun, director of the Scottish Rural Property and Business Association (SRPBA), said that wildlife crime "should not be tolerated and should be punished accordingly".

He added: "We remain committed to eradicating this scourge of our countryside. I am hugely disappointed that numbers have shown an increase, but, as with many forms of wildlife crime, increasing awareness of the issues will lead to a greater number of reported incidents and follow-up, with more police time dedicated to these types of offences."

Labour environment spokeswoman Elaine Murray said: "Since they came to power, the SNP have been soft on wildlife crime in Scotland and it is time they moved animal welfare issues higher up their agenda. In order to tackle poisonings, we have called for estates to be named and shamed where foul play is involved."