Poisoning incidents (n=54 in 2003, n=37 in 2004) and deliberate disturbance of nests (respectively n=81 and n=87) were recorded throughout The Netherlands, not only in regions renown for such incidents (provinces of Friesland, Noord-Brabant and Limburg; Fig. 1) but increasingly also elsewhere in the wake of an expanding raptor population. Among the victims of poisoning. Common Buzzards and Northern Goshawks figured prominently (Table 2), but other species as Red Kite, Eurasian Marsh Flarrier, Eurasian Kestrel and Peregrine (by mevinphos) were also affected. Poisoning was mostly realised by providing poisoned baits, using common pesticides like aldicarb (44x), parathion (17x), carbofuran (15x) and mevinphos (1x). The banned narcotic alpha-chloralose was also used (6x). Disturbing nests by keeping parents away from the nest or by destroying eggs or killing nestlings is widespread, especially in regions where meadow birds are (or have been) nesting in high densities. Regionally, and especially in the province of Friesland with a tradition of egg collecting, protection of species like Vanellus vanellus and Limosa limosa includes the illegal removal, destruction or killing of as many predators as possible, including protected species like raptors. This attitude is supported by the local populace, and therefore difficult to counteract. Based on the recorded intensity of persecution (Table 2), the large sample of nest cards (>4600 in 2004), the wide distribution of nest cards over the country and recent population estimates of raptor species, it is calculated that a minimum of 518 raptor nest were destroyed in 2004, mostly Buzzard (260), Marsh Harrier (111) and Goshawk (78). Although difficult to quantify (reliably monitoring illegal activities), the data from the last decade seem to indicate that raptor persecution is still widespread, possibly even wider spread than a decade ago. This latter situation is most likely caused by an expansion of several raptor species into the western and northern Netherlands, where till recently raptors had been scarce or absent.